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0 

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( 

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10X                             14X                             18X                             22X 

26X 

30X 

/ 

V 

12X                              16X                              20X                              24X                              28X                              32X 

! 

L 

The  copy  filmad  hare  has  baan  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 


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g^nirosit*  da: 


L^islature  du  Quebec 
Quebec 

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Legislature  du  Quebec 
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empreinte. 

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beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  framea  aa 
required.  The  following  diagitims  illust/ata  the 
method: 


lea  cartea,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
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Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atra 
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et  de  haut  an  baa,  en  prenant  la  nombra 
d'imagas  nteessaira.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
iiiuatrent  la  m6thode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Iiaill.    I       1]^ 


r-.. 


AMERICAN  HISTORICAL  ASSOCIATION. 


/ 

LORD  LOVELACE  AND  THE  SECOND  CANADIAN 
OAMPAIGN~1708-1710. 


BT 


Gen.  JAMES  GRANT  WILSON. 


Xi^  ^m/K^^^_^ 


(From  the  Annnal  Report  of  the  American  Hiatorioal  Association  for  IWl,  p«ges  208^997.) 


WASHINGTON: 
1892. 


mm 


i 


Ml 


I 


■^ 


AMERICAN  HISTORICAL  ASSOCIATION. 


LORD  LOVELACE  AND  THE  SECOND  CANADIAN 
CAMPAIGN-1708-1710. 


BY 


Gen.  JAMES  GRANT  WILSON. 


(From  the  Annual  Report  of  the  American  Historical  Asiociation  for  1891,  pages  239-297.) 


WASHINGTON : 
GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1892. 


f 


i 


XV.— LORD  LOVELACE  AND  THE  SECOND  CANADIAN 
CAMPAlGN-1708-1710. 


BY  GEN.  JAMES  GRANT  WILSON. 


h 


267 


^ 


LORD   LOVELACE    AND    THE    SECOND   CANADIAN   CAMPAIGN, 

1708-1710. 


By  Gkn.  Jamkh  Guant  Wilson. 


i 


During  tlio  past  four  coiiturics  six  men  bearing  the  knigliily 
name  of  Tioveliice  Iiave  been  known  in  English  history.  The 
earliest  of  these  was  that  Sir  Kichard  Lovelaee  who,  in  the 
"  spacious  days  of  great  Elizabeth,"  amassed  a  f(U'tune  by 
sharing  in  the  marauding  exjieditionsof  his  friend,  Sir  Fran<-is 
Drake,  and  who  aided  in  bartling  and  beating  the  so-called  in- 
viiu'Jble  Spanish  Armada.  Another  was  that  amlacious  Lord 
Lovelaee,  celebrated  by  Maeaulay.  who  abandoned  King  rbinies 
and  took  uparmsfor  i  he  Prince  of  Orange.  Two  were  colonial 
governors  of  New  York  and  two  were  connected  with  English 
letters.  With  (me  of  these  Lovelaces,  who  is  nearly  as  old  as 
the  century,  1  became  acipiainted  under  circumstances  that  1 
may  i)erhai)8  be  permitted  to  mention  briefly.  It  was  during 
the  summer  of  IST")  that  the  late  histcnian,  Lord  Staidn)])e,  in- 
vited mc  to  accompany  him  to  a  meeting  at  Willis's  L'ooms, 
the  great  object  of  which  was  to  take  into  <;onsideiation  the 
propriety  of  erecting  in  Lcmdon  an  appropriate  m«-morial  to  the 
po«'t  l>yi(»n.  As  v:e  drove  to  the  ])lace  of  meeting  I  hai>pened 
to  mention  that  my  countrymen  would  be  interested  in  such  a 
memorial,  and,  1  felt  sure,  would  be  willing  to  contribute  to  it. 
J)israeli  inesided,  and  was  followed  in  the  o])ening  ad«lr<'ssby 
Lords  Kosslyn  and  Stanho])e,  and  by  many  others,  who  all  de- 
livered carefully  prepared  speeches.  The  chairman  then  an- 
nounced, to  my  amazement,  with  the  addition  of  some  compli- 
mentary words,  that  there  was  an  American  gentleman  (tii  tlie 
platform  who,  he  trusted,  would  now  favor  the  atulicnce  with 
a  few  remarks.  I  had  no  idea  of  s]ieaking  unin('])arcd  in  such 
a  place,  and  in  such  a  ])resence,  but,  however,  acting  on  Stan- 
hope's hint,  "Tell  them  what  you  told  me,"  J   made  a  short 

260 


270 


AMERICAN   HISTOUICAL   ASSOCIATION. 


H|)('«'cli,  wlii«'li  wiiH  most  kindly  r«'t';'iveil.     When  th«'  cliainniiii 
iiiiil  oihciH  r«'timl  IVoin  the  |)Iiitrorm  to  Ww  joniniiitcc  rcxmi. 
Mr.  DisiiH'li    iircscntcd   inr  to  Ciipl.  Trcliiwiiy,   the  Ciifinl  ol 
I'.yioii  iiiiil  Siulh'y,  and  linn   said:  ♦•  IIck'  ih  anotlui   }>t'ntU' 
man  that   wishos  t«)  nnikis  y<Mir  aiMpiaintain'*',"  wlu'ienpon   I 
waH  introdtici'd  to  tli«'  I'larl  ol"  Lov«'lju«',  wlio  nianifd  Hyron's 
only  danfihtiT.     After  ('xclianjjrinj-'  a  t'rw  remarks  Ljtveiacc  as 
lonished  Disraeli,  Stanhope,  and  llie  other  speakers,  \vh(»  were 
Krou|HMl  around  in  a  lirele,  by  saying:  'Mitn.  Wilson,  I  think 
yiHirs  was  the  best  .speech  made  to-tlay  ;''an<l  then,  to  the  reliel' 
of  the  <li.stinjjfiiished  orators,  a<lded,  "  lor  it  was  the  only  oin* 
that  I  eonid  hear.'' 

To  have  immediately  followed  Lord  Cornbury  in  the  admin- 
istrati<»ii  of  l^ew  York  Province  was  to  the  advaidage  of  the 
character  of  anyone  succeeding  him.  My  the  side  of  the  most 
incapabk-  and  discreditable  govenioi'  of  the  cohmy  even  a  per- 
son of  (juite  indifferent  reputation  would  have  slioiie  brightly, 
lint  the  character  of  John,  Lord  Lovelace,  Haron  <»f  Hurley, 
needed  n<»  such  comparison  to  e<tmnuMi<l  it.  He  appears  to 
have  been  an  amiable  and  worthy  gentleman,  bearing  an  hon- 
orable name  with  dignity,  and  magnifying  it  by  jjcrsonal  virtue. 
He  had  served  his  sovereign  at  home  in  positions  of  trust,  and 
she  now  conferred  on  him  the  delicate  task  of  assuming  the 
government  ofKew  York.  It  was  hoped  that  he  might  restore 
a  bettei-  order  to  afl'airs,  brought  into  such  disgraceful  confusion 
by  the  (pieen's  cousin. 

The  (toiiu'idenci'  of  two  governors  of  New  York  within  two 
score  years  of  each  other  having  borne  the  same  name  has  natu- 
rally led  to  tlH'  conjecture  that  they  belonged  to  the  same 
family;  and  the  n<'arness  and  nature  of  the  family  tie  has  been 
variou.sly  stated  by  historians.  While  some  assert  that  Lord 
Lovelace  wa;-*  the  nephew,  ii  greater  number  have  made  the 
statement  that  he  was  the  4Tai»<l><>n  of  (lovernor  Francis  Love- 
lace. The  subject,  therefore,  has  assumed  sutticient  imi»ortauce 
to  justify  a  minute  examination  of  the  facts.  As  far  back  as 
the  days  of  Henry  VI  there  appears  in  the  records  of  English 
genealogy  the  name  of  llichard  Lovelace,  of  Queentliite,  near 
London,  who  purchased  Bayford,  in  Kent.  To  this  individual 
and  his  son  Lancelot  both  Francis  Lovelace  and  Lord  Lovelace 
tiaced  their  pedigree.  Lancelot  Lovelace  had  three  sons,  of 
whom  the  oldest  died  without  issue;  William,  the  second  son, 
itdu-rited  the  estate;    and  the  name  of  the  third  was  John. 


lAMW   LOVELA(  K — WILSON. 


271 


Fr<»n^  !li'»Ke  two  hrotlHTM  (IfscoiuUxl  two  JiHtinct  Ihn'sof  i»mu'. 
I"'rniii  William  Kovchu'c  th«' ilcsctMit  is  cloarly  IriU'Ciihlc  to  (lov- 
«'iiior  Kniiicis  iiovrliicc.  Mis  fjniiMiratlicr  and  lather  wcio  lioih 
kiii};lit('(l.  His  latlH'i"  wiiH  Sir  Williatn  IiOvrla<'e,  of  WooIwi(;ii, 
Kent.  His  elder  l)rotlior  was  Iticliard  Lovelace,  tlie  poet  and 
dniinatist,  who  died  in  KmS,  before  l''raneis  e::MH'  to  New  York. 
Kraneis  hiiuself,  the  third  son,  was  also  a  po(>l  and  an  artist. 
There  is  no  reeoi'd  that  \\v  was  married.  Two  brothers,  Thomas 
and  Dndley,  aeeompanied  him  to  the  New  VVoild.  Richard, 
perlnij)s  the  liandsomest  Knj,dishman  of  his  time,  was  annmj,' 
the  favorites  of  Charles  tln^  First,  llis  name  survivtis,  seenre 
of  its  immortality,  from  two  of  tlie  most  fuultles.s  lyricH  iti  onr 
lan^iuafje. 

(Ji)inj(back  now  to  John  L(»velace,  the  other  grandson  of  the 
original  Kichard  liovelaee,  we  lind  that  he  himself  was  the 
grandfather  of  that  Sir  Hiehanl  liovchu'e  who,  as  m<  *ioned 
above,  was  the  friend  of  Sir  Francis  Drake,  and  who  made  a 
fortune  by  sharing  the  hittei's  marauding  expeditions.  Tn  the 
third  year  of  the  reign  of  King  Charles  I,  Sir  Richard  was  ele- 
vated to  the  l)arony  of  Hurley,  a  seat  which  had  been  bought 
by  his  grandfathei'  .John,  and  from  which  pundiase  dates  the 
removal  of  this  liranch  of  the  family  fnmi  Kent  to  iJerkshire. 
The  ancient  manor  house  of  Hurley,  where  many  generations 
of  Lovelaces  were  born,  was  unfortunately  <U'stroyed  by  lire  in 
183."),  but  the  historic  nanui  remains,  ami  it  is  also  perpetuated 
on  American  soil  near  the  l)anks  of  the  Hudson.  To  that  little 
Leister  County  town  founded  by  Francis  Lovelace  Washington 
went  in  the  winter  of  178L'  and  was  greeted  by  an  enthusiastic 
assemblage.  An  address  was  delivered  by  President  Ten  lOyck, 
wliich,  as  the  aiu'ient  chronicler  informs  us,  was  happily  an- 
swered by  his  excellency  the  commander  in  chief.  The  lirst 
baron  had  two  sons,  John  and  Fraiu'is.  When  the  third  lord 
<lied,  in  1007,  without  male  issue  to  survive  him,  ^lie  barony 
passed  to  the  grandson  of  Fra  u;is,  who  thus  became  tU.5  fourth 
baron  and  was  the  Lord  .lohu  Lovelace  that  became  governor 
of  New  York .  1 1  i  s  thus  seen  that  the  family  connection  b«?tween 
the  two  governors,  while  there  subsisted  one,  was  too  remote 
to  be  designated  by  any  term  of  near  relationship.  Yet  it  is 
quite  natural  that  confusion  has  arisen,  the  grandfatln'r  of  Lord 
John  being  named  Francis,  and  being  also  a  younger  son.  1  n  tin; 
genealogies,  however,  there  is  no  record  that  this  Fraui-is  Love- 


272 


AMERICAN   HISTORICAL    ASSOCIATION. 


lace  had  auy  other  br,>tliers,*  while  those  of  Goveruor  Francis 
Lovelace  are  distinctly  mentioned.  Indeed,  the  whole  question 
iurns  upon  these  brothers,  and  therefore  speci-'ileftbrt  has  been 
made  to  obtain  all  the  facts.  In  reply  to  an  inquiry,  Mr.  Sidney 
Lee,  of  London,  editor  of  the  *' Dictionary  of  National  JUoy- 
raphy,"  writes  as  follows:  "The  poet  Kicu^.i-d  Lovelace  had 
f<mr  brothers, Thomas,  Francis,  William, and  Dudley.  In  their 
mother's  will  the  brothers  [after  KichardJ  are  mentioned  in  tliis 
order."  But,  as  is  well  known,  in  the  edition  of  Richard  Lov«'- 
lace's  poems,  there  is  one  addressed  "To  Ills  Dear  Brother 
Col.  F.  L.,  immoderately  numr-ninj,^  my  brother's  untimely  death 
at  Carmarthen."  As  Iiichaid  died  in  KI.IS,  and  this  had  every 
appearance  of  expressing;  liis  j-rief  at  the  death  of  Francis 
before  him,  this  Francis  Lovelace  could  not  have  been  governor 
of  New  York  in  lCG8-'73.  Mr.  J^ee  clears  up  the  difticulty 
completely,  h"wever,})y  saying  that  this  i)oem  "describes  Fran- 
cis' grief  for  \^''liam's  death.  I  thus  legard  it  as  practically 
certain  tliat  ■i  Francis  is  identical  M'ith  the  governor  of  New 
York.  *  *  *  The  Englisli  authorities  altogether  ignore  him 
in  that  post." 

It  need  cause  no  sur])rise  that  Queen  .Vnne  shovdri  have  con- 
ferred the  responsible  i^ost  of  gon'rnor  of  iier  provinces  of  New 
York  and  New  flersey  upon  a  scion  of  the  lunise  of  Lovelace. 
IJy  the  very  traditions  of  his  house  Lord  riohn  was  strongly  at- 
tached to  the  Protestant  succession.  Ilis  inunediate  predeces- 
sor in  the  barony,  John,  tlie  third  Lord  Lovelace,  is  character- 
ized by  Macaulay  as  "distinguished  by  his  taste,  l)y  liis  iiiag- 
nihcence,  and  by  the  audacious  and  intemperate  vehemence 
of  his  Whiggism."  At.  one  time  he  contemptuously  rei'used  tt) 
l)eed  a  warrant  for  his  arrest  for  a  i)oliticaI  offense  be<'aust^  it 
was  signed  by  a  IJomaii  Catholic  justice  ol'  tlie  peace.  He 
was  summoned  before  the  privy  council  and  examined  in  the 
])resence  of  royalty  itself,  but  he  suc(;eeded  in  clearing  himself 
completely.  As  he  was  hnuing  the  room  King  .lames  called 
. nit  ill  angry  tones:  "My  Lord,  this  is  not  the  lirst  trick  you 
have  i)!ayed  me."'  "  Sir,"  was  Lovelace's  spirited  icjoiiuler,  •'  1 
never  played  any  trick  to  Your  ^lajesty,  or  to  any  other  person. 

■  Hcriy's  "County  Ooiitialogies,"  Kent,  i)p.  474,  475;  Hiinks's  "Ddtniant 
and  Extinct  BiironaKoa,"  iti,  4!t7-41)!).  Tho  lutttTstatcs  (liiii  the  tirst  biirou 
had  two  Hons  and  two  dauitlitcrs.  Ilrodlicad  fjjivcs  the  rclciinci'  lo  HankH 
(New  ^'ork,  ii,  Xi'S,  n<i1r)  Imt  not  lo  I'lony,  an<l  lie  niakivs  tho  Sfcond  gov- 
ernor tho  {rrandson  (d"  I  lif  lirst.  <>ii]\  hya  <-oiiii)aiisoii  witli  licrry  could 
that  natural  mistake  liavr  been  avoided. 


Wlioover  liiis  lu 
who 


LORD  i,()vi:i.A(i; — ^\■ILso^'. 
(•used  ijK'of  jtlayiii;;'  tricks  is  a  1 


73 


liir, 


rclatos  this  incident,  sj)eaks  tliiis  in  loj^ard  to  iii 


^lacanhr 


tion  with  til,-  IJevolution 


S  COTMK'C- 


llis  1 


iiaiisidii,  hiiilt  Ipv  his  ill 


iccstors  (lilt  ofihc  spoils  of  Spauisli  oiillemis 
from  the  Indies,  rose  ,ni  the  niins  of.-i  liciiis,i  ..COin-  L;i(ly  in  that  Ixiaiilii'iil 
valley  thn.ti.oh  whirl,  thr  Thames,  not  y<'t  .lelll,..!  l.v  th,  pr«,in.t8  ..f  a 
j-reat  rapital.  nor  risiiiu- au.l  faliin- with  the  flow  and  ehhof  tho  s<'a.  ioIIh 
under  AV.H.ds  .,r  h,.,,.h   n.un.l   the  jrentie  hills  of  Herkshire.     Hen.-afh  the 

stately  saloon,  adorned  l.y  Italia neils.  was  a  siihteiTaucous  vanit.  in 

whieh  the  bones  of  aneie.il  monks  had  soim-times  beon  found.  In  this 
dark  ehamlMT  some  /ealons  and  .laiin.!--  opjionents  of  the  (Jov.Tnnient  had 
held  many  niidniuhl  .onferenees  duriii,- tiiat  anxious  time  when  Knulund 
^as  impatiently  exi>e<tin<;  the  Prote.'^tant  wind. 

Lovohict-  was  the  lirst  iiobloman  of  consequence  wlio  i)io^ 
cecded  to, join  Willia.n  of  Orange  after  his  laiidino.  IJut  uii- 
fortunately  lio  and  Ids  troop  of  aruied  retainers  were  attacked 
and  defeated  by  superior  nimjbers,  and  Lovehi<;e  was  inii  ris- 
onetl.  Hut  the  success  of  the  prince  released  liim,  and  hiter  he 
took  an  active  part  in  i)Iacin«'  the  crown  of  En^hmd  upon  tlie 
heads  of  William  and  JMary  and  securing  the  succession  of  the 
throne  to  Maiy's  sister  Anne.  The  house  of  Lovelace  mnst 
therefore,  have  stood  high  in  Anne's  regard,  and  it  was  ejni- 
ently  deserving  of  distinguished  rewards. 

On  March  L'S,  1  708,  Queen  Anne's  chief  secretary  of  state, 
Lord  Sunderland,  wrote  lo  inform  the  *'  Lords  Commissioners 
for  Trade  and  Plantations,"  that  Her  Majesty  had   app<.inted 
•lohn.  Lord  I.ovelace.  governor  of  New  York  ai;<l  New  Jei-sey. 
As  Avas  customary,  with  the  cojnmission   were  usually  -iven' 
also  a  new  set  of  instructions,  and  tlie  lords  (d' trade  weiv  re- 
(iuested  to  draw  these  u]).     But  it  was  not  till  the  middle  of 
October  that  Lord  Lovelace  departed  for  New  York.     It  is  easy 
to  surmise  wlnit  detained  him  thus  for  more  than  half  a  year 
England  was  then  in  the  midst  of  the  "AVar  of  the  Spanish 
Succession,"  and  stood  at  the  forefront  in  the  coalition  of  Ku 
ropean  states  against  Fram-e  ami  Spain.     Her  American  colo- 
nies felt  the  eliect  of  this  conflict.     Where  they  bordered  on  the 
Spanish  setthMuentsin  the  south,  and  the  French  atthe north 
liostihties  were  carried  on   briskly,  ami  the  perio.l  is  known  in' 
ouraimalsas  "QueenAnne'sWar."    The  Dukeof  Marlborough 
was  then  condiu'tingthe  armies  of  his  nation  ami  its  alliens  upon 
a  career  of  almo.st  uniiiteirupted  success;  his  every  battle  uas 
a  vict(.iy  ami  every  siege  meant  the  reduction  of  the  beleagu.-red 
j)i;ice.     Ibit   the  spring  of  1 70s,  wh,M.    Lord  Lovelace  received 
S.  3Ii.s.  17;5 18 


AMERICAN   mSTORK'Al.   ASSOCVTIOK. 


„,  ,„„  war.    Tb.  oa   1.  »;";,, „,oi„u,,  ,md  a,c  .•iti.,.  o, 
cmplctely  .Irivu.g  t  .  """,.„„■■„„,  .ic-lairf  for  tl"; 

g.„.ns,>ns  to  ,.r«eut  l.tn  be    t.  ^^_^.,,^,,^  (^„,t„„„ 

tors,     l-.tit  early  la  !'"''•  '",,,,„,„,  .,„,itliB»tarof  France, 

Flandois,  and  Ghent  and  ^^  ^^  ^  ;.  ,  ,,,,ession,  that  of  the 
these  inu.<>rtaut  ^^^^^l^^l^^^!  f  on.  the  bouudavies  ot 
,„ole  of  Flemish  /^^^^'^  ;;     t^^iie,  was  assured     Th.s 

^"s;;.,  there..,  if  at  -^  f;--;t;^LC"-^''^ 

tary  duty  called  every  En^hl^^iuan^^^t^^^^  ^^.  ^^^^   ^^^^^   ^^^^^^^ 
l-arou  ..f   Hurley   •'»'"^^"\*^'\ '"',,,, ^.u  <.V  vipnous  often- 

With  ehar..teristh.  l-^;;;^^-;  .^iX^  .ud  instituted  hy 
«i  ve  operations.;  a.  at  oice  a  ^^^^^^^^  .^^  Flanders  he 

Marlboroujvh.    .lonnuj;  the     ^  "^1'    ,^^      ,,torv  to  withdrawni^' 

,,,...entrated  them  -^-'-^^:^;^'  ^^^ke  Brussels  his  base 
then,  from  this  provuvce,  "^^^n      H,  .     ,  ^^^^^^^^  ^^^.  ^^, 

,f  operations,  as  well  as  ^••^^^^.  ^^^^  necessarily  had  to 
euen.y.  lu  etieet.ng  tin.  um  cu  u  ^^^  _^^^  ^^^^^^^  ^^^^^^  ^^^ 
assume  the  ai>l>earau^  a  -  ^^^  ,^^^  .^^  ^.^^^^^  ^^,^^  ^ 
excite  the  French  .Mth  t  e  1    i  ^^^  Oudenardc.  a 

then,  in  eager  ^^^"\;-^'^^^^.^""  Fi.nders,  and  3^;  miles 
tillage  on  the  ^''''^''l^'^Z^^^n^.  nuule  a  s^idden  halt, 
dire<.tly  west  of  l^'^'7;^';,f;^rwell  directed  and  irresistib  e 
,u<l  wheeling  around  I'^^f  J^!^^;;^„i,.  u).  It  was  -  a  battle 
i„,^,Husui,ou  the  astomslHHl  loc  i^^         ^^^,,  of  the 

tbught  with  ^"^^^*'*^'/*"^T'^t;  ^v  on  the  j^round.-  The 
eo.^endin,  parties  ha<l  --;^^  '^  ;,;^,,,  ,  ,use  <.n  the  part  of 
.aauner  of  bringing'  on  th    •'  "     '  ^^-^      .culiar  circum 

the  invincible  duke,  ^^ould  <  u     "  ,,,,,,., ^.a  nothing; 

stance.    The  supenor  --f*^-;  .;;,,,  ,,,,  driven  from  the 

s  o:^;r  ^"-- ^^ 

—  ~ rr<r.t  .hos  of  in.istvions  Soldiers,"  p.  201. 

•Wilsons  '•^ket^'ll*^<" 


LOKD    LOVLLACi: — V-'ILSON. 


275 


of  France,  in  proximity  to  tlic  Uelgiau  border,  liad  been  seem  ed 
by  the  allies.     " The  annals  of  wai,"  writes  Sir  Archibald  Ali 
son,  "  eau  at!'ord  no  parallel  of  the  skill  and  resolution  of  that 
iiimiortal  eanipaiyii."     Evidently  Lord  Lovelaee,  besides  sliar 
ino  in  the  active  operations,  and  perhaps  also  in  the  battle  of 
Oudenarde  itself,  needed  to  wait  till  the  full  <>lory  of  tlie  earn 
paio-n  had  been  reaped,  and  the  opposin^^'  forces  had  retired  to 
winter  quarters,  before  he  could  be  released  and  allowed  to 
])roceed  to  his  scat  of  .u'overnnient  in  America. 

About  the  middle  of  October,  1708,  Lord  John  embarked  on 
board  her  Majesty's  ship  Khi<isnk:  fie  was  accompanied  by 
his  wife.  Lady  Charlotte,  daughter  of  «ir  -lohn  Clayton,  and 
his  Ihree  sons,  all  lads  of  tender  age,  John,  We'itworth,  and 
Nevil;  little  dreamino-  as  they  set  out  on  this  voyage  that  the 
ravages  of  death  w(»uld  permit  but  two  of  this  interesting 
household  to  reiurn  to  their  native  country.  The  Kingmlc, 
well  armed  and  strongly  manned,  was  one  of  a  fleet;  for  it  was 
a  (ime  of  war,  and  only  the  year  before.  Col.  Kobert  Hunter, 
wiio  was  destined  to  succeed  Lord  liovelace  in  New  York  had 
been  cajitured  by  a  Fiench  jiian-of-war  on  his  way  to  Virginia, 
of  which  iHOvince  he  had  oeen  appointed  lieutenant-governor,- 
but,  by  reason  of  this  detention  as  prisoner  in  France,  he  never 
(lualihed  lor  olliee  in  the  soutiieni  colony. 

The  passage  proved  to  be  a  stormy  one,  and  so  rough  and 
uni)leasant  was  the  ex))erience  to  Lord  Lovelace  that  he  ear- 
nestly contended  that  at  this  season  of  the  year  not  even  sailors 
should  be  exposed  to  the  terrors  of  the  sea.  "No  ship  ought 
to  be  sent  hither  from  England  after  August  at  farthest,"  he 
wrote.  The  idea,  while  doing  credit  to  Lord  Lovelac(!'s  con- 
sid<>rateness,  is  somewhat  anuising  in  the  light  of  the  develop- 
ment of  ocean  navigation,  as  witnessed  within  the  past  year, 
when  even  "records"  made  in  the  summer  season  were  broken 
in  the  face  of  November  storms  of  unusual  violence.  But 
Lovelace  could  not  foresee  the  miracles  of  human  achievement 
of  almost  two  centuries  after  his  date.  And  he  certainly  had 
sonu'  reason  to  complain  of  the  elements.  When  api)roaching 
our  -terrible  coast,"  early  in  I)eeeml)er,  the  squadron  encoun- 
tered a  tempest  which  di'ove  the  Kiu(/mlc  out  of  her  course 
and  separated  her  so  comi)letely  from  her  consorts  that  no 
tra(!e  of  any  of  them  had  ])een  found  even  after  the  governor's 
arrival  in  the  city,  with  the  excepti(m  of  the  Cniti/,  wliich 
grounded  upon  a  point  of  land  at  Sai.dy  liook,  but  got  oft' 
without  loss  of  life. 


i 


276  AMKUICAN    lIIbTUiilCAL    ASSOCIATION. 

The  Kin<imh:  was  torml  to  seek  vofn-e  in  liuzzard  Bay. 
Desceiulins  tlicn.-e.  after  the  stovn,  luul  abated,  she  imisned 
,.er  c-..urse  through  the  Long  Island  Sound.     Either  the  m.ss.s 
of  IhuUing  ire,  or  the  intricacies  and  penis  ol  the  "'"l  ^  ^^'^ 
.•hannel,  determined  her  eapca.n  to  land  at  the  vdlage  ol  I'  hish- 
inn-  on  Long  Island.     It  was  an  unfortunate  .•ircun.stanc'  tor 
tho  new  governor  and  his  family.     Instead  <.f  being  .-arried  lu 
the  coadbrtable  ship  directly  to  the  city,  they  were  now  com^ 
nellod  to  expose  themselves,  during  a  land  journey  ot  several 
miles,  and  the  crossing  of  the  East  lUver  by  IV'rry  to  the  ,n- 
.len.ency  of  an  unusually  severe^  winter,  m  a,  climate  to  which 
thev  we're  not  accustomed,  an<l  where  this  season  ^vas  ordina- 
rily much  .-older  than  hi  Enghind.    The  winter  of  1-08  and 
170!)  is  noted  in  history  as  a  particularly  severe  one.    In  Eu- 
r,>pe  it  added  to  the  horrors  of  war  by  destroying  vineyards 
in  se<-tions  where  frost  was  scarcely  ever  known.     In^  o  hei 
i.uts  the  grain  already  in  the  ground  for  the  next  year  s  har- 
vest was  f^.or,and  poverty  and  famine  thus  stared  the  people 
of  the  conterxling  nations  m  the  face.     In  America  i    set  in 
early  and  ^.vas  exceedingly  rigorous;  the  rivers  and  harboi. 
.hidi  the  Klnosalr  passed  on  her  way  along  the  ^ouM  ^ 
full  of  ice     That  of  New  York,  too,  was  mad(>  almost  impass- 
able by  the  masses  of  ice  in  blocks  and  large  tields  rushing 
up  and  down  on  either  side  of  the  <-ity  with  the  nu-oming  and 
outtlowin<'  tides.     When  it  is  remembered  what  di..icult>  i^ 
experie.ued  by  the  powerful  ferry  boats  of  our  day  in  crossing 
from  shore  to  ■shore  under  these  circumstances,  it  may  be  im- 
agined what  it  must  have  been  to  effect  a  passage  in  a  small 
open  boat  across  the  East  lliver  from  the  ^' Ferry  at  Breuke- 
e^rto  ^v    city,inl70S.     As  it  was,  Governor  Lovelace  and 
two  of  his  children  caught  serious  colds,  from  which  neither  ot 

them  recovered.  .  „ 

On  the  morning  of  December  IS,  170S,  nine  weeks  and  a  t  w 
divs  after  his  departure  from  England,  Lord   L..velace  hnal].v 
tt  foot  within  the  capital  of  his  provin<-e.     Vreparatums  on  a 
liberal  scale  had  been  made  for  his  reception.     Lord  Cornbury 
niself  was-n-esent  to  welcome  his   successor,  and  to  induct 
in  with  what  gracehe  could  into  the  oflice  which,  it  was  plain 
to  him  as  to  everyone,  he  had  forfeited  by  his  misconduct  and 
inethciency.     It  is  lu.t  likely  that    the   ;'-^- ^*'^-!'-'';;;;;,^  ^ 
i,M.ted  to  the  fatigues  of  these  inaugural  eeirmonies  on  tin  d.  > 
f  his  arrival.     But  in  honor  of  this  event  L<.rd  Cornbury  and 


LOUD   LOVELACE — WILSON. 


277 


the  couiicil  liiid  iiiiidc  i)rovisi(»ii  for  a  (liiiiici'  or  baiiqiU't,  wliicli 
M'Ms  scivcd  oil  tliiit  (lay  in  tlic j-ovcriior's  mansion  in  the  fort.* 
When  on  (jjc  lu-xf  day,  or  a  f«'W  days  later,  tlic  new  governor's 
cominissioii  was  puhlicly  aiinouiieed  and  read  from  tlu'  gate  at 
the  fort,  or  from  tiic  city  hall  in  Wall  street,  it  may  well 
be  l)eli<'ved,  after  tiieir  six  years  of  Conibury,  that  the  peoph" 
wateiied  witii  ea^-erness  for  any  signs  that  eoiild  give  them 
reason  for  hoping  tiiat  the  change  in  governors  woukl  be  an 
improvement.  With  tliis  purpose,  many  a  searching  glance 
was  doubth'ss  directed  towaid  him  as  he  made  his  first  public 
appearance.  They  would  tlien  iiave  beheld  a  man  not  much 
more  than  forty  years  of  age,  prepossessing,  if  not  too  greatly 
haiUHsed  by  tin-  sufferings  of  his  trying  journey;  for  "nature 
had  end()we<l  him  with  a  magistick  and  amiabh-  counteuiince," 
as  liecfor  Vcsey  informs  us  in  the  funeral  sermon  he  was  so 
soon  caUed  upon  to  |)reach.  A  man  of  relinement  and  educa- 
tion, too,  having  graduated  at  the  university;  and  of  military 
bearing  doubtless,  fresh  fr<mi  the  glori<ms  campaign  in  Flan- 
ders. A  man,oiic<-  more,  of  a  kindly  heart  and  great  consider- 
utiou  for  others  placed  in  different  and  lowlier  circumstances 
from  himself;  for  even  on  that  exciting  day  of  his  arrival  his 
heart  was  oi)pre,sse(l  by  the  uncertainty  of  the  fate  of  those  in 
the  other  shii»;  and  in  the  first  official  letter  Avritten  later  on 
this  sanu^  <lay  to  the  lords  of  trade,  bearing  in  mind  the  suflter- 
ings  of  the  jtoor  seamen,  and  recommending  a  rule  of  naviga- 
tion which  should  prevent  their  exposure  to  the  rigors  of  a  win- 
tei- passage  in  the  future.t 

I5ut  personal  amiability  and  tendei-heartedtiess,  while  it 
might  prevent  a  needlessly  harsh  or  unjust  interpretation  of 
his  instructions,  did  not  leave  the  governor  at  liberty  to  depart 
from  them  in  the  pertbrmance  of  his  functions.  Largely  by 
reason  of  the  ex<'crable  behavior  of  Lord  Conibury,  the  people 
had  come  to  rise  up  in  arms  (figuratively  speaking  as  yet) 

•  It  would  Mppi'iii'  iiM  if  p,voii  this  last  act  of  providiii.j'-  a  suitablo  recej)- 
tioii  for  lii.s  siicccMsor  jravotlii'  n'tinngfrovcrnoian  opportnuifyof  display- 
hiii  hiH  criiiiiiial  disrcnanl  of  liiiaiicial  obli^-atioii.s.  At  least  as  late  as 
I'tltniary,  1712,  (Ii.'  honest  eaten  r,  lleury  Swift  (perhaps  the  1  )elinonico  of 
his  day),  who,  by  an  order  of  jiitvornor  and  council,  dated  November  17, 
17(18.  liad  been  eiiyi,ji,.<l  |.,  fnrnisli  the  "  dinner,"  as  he  modestly  calls  it, 
Avas  still  petitioning:  for  liis  .(impensation,  which  he  placed  at  the  not  very 
exorhitant  (i-nie  of  JCIG  7«.  tu/.,  say  about  $235.  ("New  York  Colouial 
MSS.,"  i.vii,  f.  SO.) 

t  l>ociiineiils  relating  to  tlu^  Colonial  History  of  New  Vork,  5,  67. 


i   .« 


278 


AMERICAN    IIlSTOiaCAL    ASSOCIATION. 


agiiiust  the  royal  i)ror();,'iit  ivc,  ami  with  a  iiiiaiuiiiity  as  surpris- 
inti  iis  it  was  si^-iii  Ilea  lit,  coiisidcriii*;  the  serious  divisions  that 
had  tii'iscii  out  of  tlu-  LiHsIcr  troubles;  for  many  of  tlictse  wiio 
had  stood  out  on  th(!  side  of  eonstitnted  authority,  and  wJiose 
adherence  to  the  line  of  jioliey  had  eansed  the  sharp  line  to  be 
drawn  lietweeii  the  iieisleriaiis  and  aiiti-I.,eisleriaiis  ever  since, 
were  forced  int »  a  position  of  anta^^oiiism  to  the  royal  claiinH 
as  interjiretecl  by  the  extravaj^aiit  demands  for  money  and  the 
arbitrary  exerc^ise  of  his  functions  on  the  part  of  the  riiincd« 
si)endthrilt  and  prolli^ate  who  had  Just  been  siii)erseded.  It 
was  a  matter  of  inip(»rtance  to  Icnow.  therefore,  whether  tliere 
were  any  modilication  or  iiio(h'raHon  in  rhe  royal  claims  in  the. 
instructions  to  tlu^  new  ;;<»vernor.  Tliese,  however,  were  in  no 
sense  different  from  the  ones  jL;iveii  to  Cornbury.  Tlie  instnie- 
tioiis  which  the  lor<ls  of  tia<le,  in  ri'ply  to  Lord  Sundevland'H 
request  of  March  L'S,  reported  on  May  31,  ITOS,  they  declare<l 
to  be  "totiie  same  piii'iiose  as  those  that  have  from  time  to 
time  been  j^iveii  to  tlie  Lord  Oornbury."*  These  were  a  few 
additional  instructions  jtrepared  foi-  Lord  Lovelace  in  July, 
intendiiifj;'  to  correct  some  abuses  which  had  arisen  on  account 
of  certain  '•  extra  vajiantj-'rants  of  laud  made  by  Col.  Benjamiu 
Flet(!her.'"t  A  leu j; thy  pajx-r  was  likewise  drawn  up  by  the 
lords  of  trade  for  the  j;uidance  of  the  yo\ernor  in  the  affairs  of 
the  ]>rovince  of  New  Jersey,  wliieh  it  is  needless  for  the  pur- 
l)oses  of  this  liistory  to  do  more  than   mention  here. 

The  council  ai)i»oii.iied  to  share  the  responsibihties  and  cares 
of  government  with  Lord  Lovelace  was  composed  of  gentlemen 
scnne  of  whom  were  members  of  Cornbury's  cabinet,  and  most 
of  whose  names  have  already  become  familiar  to  the?  rea(h'r  of 
these  pages.  Col.  IN'ter  Sciiuyler,  the  first  mayor  of  Albany, 
the  friend  of  the  Indians  on  tlie  Mohawk,  and  jnesident  (»f  the 
convention  at  Albany  which  so  long  resisted  Leisler's  author- 
ity, was  piesiih'iit  of  Lovelace's  council.  Xext  to  him  was  I)r. 
Gerardus  Heeckman,  who  ha<l  been  a  member  of  Leisl's  coun- 
cil, liip  Van  Dam  and  Thomas  W'enliam,  associiiii^-d  with  Col. 
Nicholas  Bayard  in  a  measure  of  ojtposition  to  Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor Nanfan,  appear  next  on  the  list.  Thes(\  with  Chief-Jus- 
tice Arompesson,  liad  been  meml)ers  also  of  Lor<l  Cornbiiiy's 
council.  Adolph  Phibiise,  tlu^  son  of  Frederick  l'liilii>se,  i)iom- 
inent  under  previous  administrations;  John  Barberie.  a  de 

» ihid., ;-.  42. 

iJbid.,  n,  51. 


«1 


I 


mt 


LOUD    LOVKLACE — WII.80N. 


279 


si'pndant  of  the  Iliioiioiiots,  aiKl  ('(iiniccttMl  l>y  ninrvinpo  with 
the  Van  Coithiii<It  liiiiiily;  iiiid  W'illiaiii  iVaitrcc,  a  iiicrcliaiit, 
who  had  Ikm'H  iiiaynv  ,.nh(>  city  in  the  years  ITO.'J  to  17(M),  were 
new  a<'C('ssi()ns  to  (he  nniiiber  of  royal  coiiiicilors. 

The  lirst  meeting'  of  the  council  after  L<»nl  Lovelace's  as- 
sumption of  iiis  office  was  hehl  on  .lannary  5.  1701).*  The 
action  that  was  then  taken  was  one  usual  at  the  accession  of  a 
new  governor.  It  was  ordered  tiiat  a  proclamation  be  pub 
lished  declaring  the  present  provincial  assembly  dissolved. 
At  the  same  time  writs  for  the  election  of  a  new  assembly  were 
issued,  which  was  to  take  place  on  March  10.  The  assend)!y 
then  elected  met  on  A]>ril  <{,  their  only  business  that  day  being 
the  choosing  of  a  speaker.  This  honor  was<'onferred,  or  rather 
•  oidirmed,  ujton  William  Nicoll.  wlio  had  held  the  oflice  <luring 
the  six  preceding  years,  and  who  was  consecaitively  reelect<'d 
for  ten  years  thereafter,  wlicn  failing  liealth  compelled  him  to 
decline.  Having  been  duly  organized  for  h'gislative  action, 
the  assembly  was  ushered  into  the  jaesence  of  Lord  Lovelace 
and  his  council  on  the  next  day.  He  administered  to  them 
the  oaths  oi"  allegiance,  they  subscribed  their  names  to  the 
inevitable  "  test  act,"  and  he  then  addressed  them  in  the  fol- 
lowing speech : 

Okntmcmkn  :  I  havo  called  ytm  t(>f;()tlicr  as  early  as  you  rould  Avell  kksc t 
with  ronvenii'iico  to  yourselves  to  consult  of  those  tilings  which  arc  iieccs- 
isary  to  he  done  at  this  tinu!  for  her  majesty's  services  aud  the  f-ood  of  the 
proviuce.  The  lar^e  siii)|dies  of  soldiers  aud  stores  of  war  for  your  su))- 
|iort  and  defense,  toj^'ether  with  those  lu-cessary  ])re8ents  for  your  ludiau 
uei};hl)ors,  which  her  majesty  has  now  sent  you  at  a  time  w  hen  the  char^i) 
of  the  war  is  so  <.reat  at  honns  are  evident  jiroofs  other  i)articuhn  care  of 
you,  and  I  assure  myself  tliey  will  he  received  with  those  testimonies  i;f 
loyalty  and  gratitude  which  such  royal  favors  deserve  from  an  oblipd. 
and  orateful  jieople.  I  am  sorry  to  find  that  the  pul.lie  debt  of  the  prov- 
ince is  8..  .ureat  as  it  is,  and  that  tlic  fiovernnient  here  hath  so  little  credit, 
if  any  at  all,  left;  a  <;-overnnunt  under  a  «(n<>en  as  famous  for  her  prudent 
and  frugal  maua,u(Mneiit  at  home  as  for  her  warlike  .ani  .ulorious  actions 
aludad.  I  can  not  in  the  least  donl.t.  .uentlemen,  hut  that  you  will  raise 
the  same  revenue  for  the  sanu' term  of  years  for  the  sujjport  of  the  gov- 
ernment as  was  raised  liy  act  of  assemldy  in  ti levcnth   ol'  tiic  reign  ol 

the  late  King  William  of  glorious  memory;  an. I   I  hope  you  will  also  lind 

•To  he  perfectly  correct  this  date  slmidd  be  written  .lanimry  5,  17(t,-,, 
because  by  Englishnnn  the  new  year  was  at  that  period  c(uisidered  as  he- 
gijuiingou  March  IT);  and  on  tlu;  minutes  of  the  council  17(IS  appears  for 
dates  in  January  aud  Eebrnary  and  |)ar(  otManh.  But  il  will  be  less  con- 
fusing to  the  modern  mind,  attcr  tliis  exphmatory  note,  to  use  the  numl>er 
of  the  year  according  to  our  present  calculations. 


280 


AMEIilCAN    IllSTOKlCAL    AS.S(X'lA'JlON. 


out  wnyN  iiih)  iiifMiis  to  <li8flijirgc  tlio  doht,  tliitl  Imtli  licfii  niiitriictcd  jind 
allow  to  the  pciMoiiH  (■iinci'ini'd  ii  rciiNonnldo  iiitficst  till  tlic  ]>iiiiripjil  is 
aiH(diar>;«'d.  To  tliat  t-nd  I  desire  yon  to  oxiiniiiif  and  stiitc  the  iiiil)lio 
accoiintH,  tliat  it  may  hv  Iviiowii  wlial  tliin  dclit  is  and  that  it  may  ajJiK'ni- 
hcn-aftiT  that  it  wm  not  contracted  in  my  time.  I  must  in  jtaiticiilar 
doHire  you  to  providt^  lor  tlic  necessary  re])airs  of  tlie  iortilicationH  of  th-' 

provini'f.     Tlio  l)arracks  are  ho  small   I   so  mucii  out   of  repair  tliat   I 

have  heen  necessitated  [xic]  to  Idllet  the  recruits  that,  camo  over  with  nio 
upon  this  rity,  which  I  am  sensildo  hath  been  a  burthen  to  tho  inhabitants, 
but  i  hojte  you  will  soon  ease  them  of  that  burthen.  The  fitting  out  a 
j;ood  sloop  to  attend  lier  nnijesty's  nien-oi-war  in  their  cruiHiu;;s  on 
this  coast  I  take  to  lie  so  necessary  lor  the  preserviu;^  of  your  naviga- 
tion that  I  exitect  you  will  lind  out  a  proper  method  to  defray  that  charf;e. 
I  am  willinfi  my  salary  should  be  taxed,  tiiat  I  may  pay  r^y  quota  to  so 
useful  a  service.  I  think  myself  (ddifjed  further  to  reconunend  to  your 
consideration  how  to  prevent  the  exjiortation  td'gold  and  silver  coin  out 
of  the  ]>rovinee,  least  in  a  short  time  your  trade  should  sutler  for  want 
thereof.  The  (/neen  hath  iiotliin;j;more  at  heart  than  the  prosj)erity  of  her 
subjects.  I  shall  ai)i'rove  myself  to  her  majesty  in  ])ursuin;,' tlK)S(>  meth- 
ods that  will  best  conduce  to  that  end.  It  shall  l)e  my  constant  care  to 
promote  jx'ace  and  union  amonjjst  you,  to  encoiiraj,^'  you  in  your  trade, 
and  to  i)rotect  you  in  the  possession  of  your  just  rifjhts  and  privilej^es.'" 

Here,  then,  was  a  clear  and  ciimdid  ])resentineiit  oftlieeondi- 
tion  ofaflaiis  in  tlio  provinee  and  of  the  more  jncssino-  neees- 
sities  tliat  (  on  lion  ted  tlie  assembly.  It  was  ])nt  before  tlieni 
in  the  best  of  tempers  and  witli  a  transpaivntlionesty.  What 
a  contrast  bet\vcen  that  volnnfary  i)roposition  of  ii  tax  on  his 
salary  to  carry  ont  the  scheme  of  the  armed  sloop  and  Lord 
Cornbnry's  demand  for  an  exorbitant  snm  from  the  assemblies 
of  both  provinces,  Remembering  his  predecessor's  exceedingly 
loose  principles  in  money  matters,  it  was  oidy  natural  that 
Lord  Lovelace  should  wish  to  have  it  definitely  nnderstood 
that  "the  burthen  of  public  debt"  was  not  contracted  in  his 
time.  The  main  question  at  issue,  however,  turned  upon  the 
raising  of  a  revenue  for  a  term  of  years.  That  had  been  done 
by  act  of  assembly  in  1702,  for  a  term  of  seven  years.  It  was 
now  abtmt  to  expire,  Btit  (lornbury's  conduct  had  taught 
the  colonists  a  lesson,  and  they  aaw  the  advantage  of  voting 
a  revenue  only  from  year  to  year  and  to  accompany  the  grant 
with  specific  appropriations  to  the  purjjoses  it  slumld  be  used 
for.  This  issiu?  prepared  a  battle  ground  for  years  to  come, 
resulting  finally  in  victory  and  indei)endence  for  the  colonies. 

The  history  of  the  Kn,ii;lish  contiiM'ntal  colonies  duriny;  the  first  half  of 
the  eighteenth  century  was  largely  made  u]>  of  jietty  bickerings  between 


1 


''Jourual  of  the  Legislative  t'ouncil  of  New  York,  1,276,277. 


4 


LORD   LOVELACK — WII.SOX. 


281 


1 


4 


tLo  popular  aHapniblioH  imil  tlie  royal  fjovcrnorH,  Tho  principlr  at  Htiiko 
was  iiii])ortant,  a  fixed  Halary  jrratit  would  havo  been  in  tlir  n,■ltll^t^  ofa  tax 
iiiijKiNcd  l)y  the  crown.  Tim  at'rinioiiioiiH  coiitcntioii  wan  greatly  disturb- 
iujf  to  all  material  iiitort-stH,  but  it  NcrvtulaH  a  most  valuable  constitutional 
trainiiijf  Mchool  lor  tlio  Kevolutiou."* 

The  iisscmbly  at  Nov  York  wcro  not  a  whit  beliiiid  their 
brethivii  of  the  other  coh»iiies  in  stini(liii«''  hy  tiieir  cohms. 
Lord  Lovehice,  however  IciinUy  of  heart,  and  «U!scril)ed  by  one 
of  tlielr  own  oflu-ials  as  "a  GentleTnan  of  tlio.se  Qnalifieation8, 
J]\(ell'  teni]»('i',  and  fioodness,  tliat,  liad  lie  lived  lonyer  with 
ns,  he  wou'd  have  reviv'd  the  eountry  from  its  former  calam- 
ity,"t  yet  was  the  representative  of  the  crown,  and  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  ])eopIe  were  now  abnormally  sensitive  to  any 
possible  eneioachments  on  their  rights,  and  correspondingly 
susi)icions  of  tlie  exercise  of  any  governor's  functions.    They 
resolved  not  to  accede  to  his  re(iuest  for  the  repetition  of  the 
grant  for  a  number  of  years;  and  for  this  reason  Bancroft  ex- 
alts this  peaceable  an<l  jtleasant  conference,  the  first  and  la^st 
:  session  of  his  provincial  legislature  which  the  new  governor 
I  was  ])ermittcd  to  attend,  into  a  distinctive  and  pivotal  episode 
'  in  the  great  contest  which  created  our  Kepublic  of  the  United 
States,    lie  does  not  hesitate  to  say  of  it: 

The  assembly  whii'li  in  April,  1709,  mot  Lord  Lovelace,  began  the  con- 
tf'st  that  was  never  to  cease  but  with  iiulependenco.t 

We  turn  aside,  however,  from  these  more  general  consider- 
ations aifecting  the  being  of  the  commonwealth  to  note  what 
of  interest  nmy  be  discovered  in  the  history  of  the  city  during 
Lord  Lovelace's  very  brief  administration.  At  this  time  the 
otHce  of  mayor  was  occupied  by  Ebenezer  Wilson,  he  having 
received  his  a})poiiitment  in  1707,  and  serving  until  1710.  Hi' 
was  the  son  of  Samuel  Wilson,  who  had  (^migrated  from  p]ug- 
land  and  had  settled  iu  New  York  shortly  after  the  final  ces- 
sion of  the  province  to  the  English  iu  1674.  The  elder  Wilsou 
had  succeeded  in  amassing  a  c<msiderable  fortune,  and  lived 
in  a  comfortable  mansion  on  the  south  side  of  Wall  street,  near 
what  is  now  Pearl  street.  He  died  in  the  eventful  year  1089, 
leaving  a  widow  and  two  sous.  One  of  these  followed  the  sea, 
and  became  captain  of  a  merchant  vessel    The  other,  Ebeue- 


-  "The  Colonies  from  1492-1750,"  by  lieuben  G.  Thwaites  (New  York  and 
London.  18!»1),  p.271. 

'  Doc.  rel.  Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  o,  80. 

■I  •'History  ol'the  L'uited  States  "  (ed.  ISS."),  2,  13. 


282  AMERICAN    HISTORICAL    ASSnCIATir'N. 

■M'v  Wilson,  hkr  Lis  tiitlier,  jittainea  inomiiu-urf  in  ImsiiiosK 
riirU'8  iuul  in  political  lit.'.     A  vi'um^  of  f  l.r  city  m:u\v  in  1  .(KJ 
ivincs.'nfs  his  J.ous.'liol.l  as  (•(.ini.os.'.l  ot  iiinisell'  and  wite  nud 
four  rliildirn,  with  two  male  i.n.l  two  Icmah'  white  servants, 
beside  a  n.-gn.  man  and  ^(.man.     As  he  lived  in  the  paternal 
n.ansion  he  waH  within  but  a  few  steps  of  tlu'  eity  Indl,  on  the, 
corner  of  Widl  street  and  the  present  Nassmi  street,  ^.here  now 
Mf  uids  the  rnited  Sti.tes  sub-Treasury  buihliuK.     The  simple 
f„'tof  its  location  iilVords  an  instructive  commentary  in  itselt 
on  thechanue  of  conditions  in  the  city  within  a  period  of  less 
than  tift.\  years.     In  ICr.ii  there  had  been  .m  Indian  niassacre, 
■md  f.u-  ye;ns  thereafter  there  wi.s  still  apprehension  ot  Indian 
'itta.-ks;'  so  that  the  citizens  who  lived  .mtside  the  line  ot  the 
ualisades  running  along  Wall   street,  bad  need   for   specul 
watchfulness.    Now  the  chief  nn.nicipal  building  stood  on 
.rround  to  the  north,  and  thus  outside  of  that  line  of  m-cessary 
defense.    The  division  of  the  <'ity  into  six  wards,  i.dopted  in 
the  days  of  Cb.vern..r  l)..ngan,  still  prevailed,  and  ea«-h  of  these 
returned  one  alderm.n  and  one  assistant  aldennan  so  that  the 
common  council  w.s  composed  of  twelve  men  besides  the  cl.iet 
magistrate.     Cornbury's   objecti.mMble    i-onduct,   whnd.    has 
been  noticed  as  having  caused  the  fusion  of  opposing  j.iirties 
in  provincial  affairs,  had  doubtless  had  the  same  et  ect  upon 
local  politics,  foi  there  was  no  repetition  of  the  troubles  which 
had  attended  the  indu.tion  of  Mayor  Xoell  int..  othce  m  1 .01.. 
Mayor  Wilson's  nmnicipal  ivsp..nsibilities  were  limited  t..  a 
very  Vmnll  fraction  of  territory  as  comp.ued  with  that  ..ver 
which  extends  the  sway  of  a  mayor  ..f  New  York  m  our  day. 
The  city  hall  in  Wall  street  must  have  been  built  on  some- 
what the  same  p..  in.iph'  as  the  one  evcted  over  a  century 
liter  in  the  J»ark  or  Commons,  the  rear  of  which  it  is  sai.l  was 
<'oiistriicted  of  a  less  expensive  material  bec-ause  it  was  in.t 
supposed  that  a  majority  of  the  residents  w,.ul.l  ever  be  .-all.-.l 
upon  to  view  it  from  that  side.     I'.ut  a  few  s.-.ttered  houses 
were  to  be  found  above  ,I.>hn  or  Fult.ui  street;  and  all  the  re- 
<rion  north  and  west  of  I>ark  K..wand  Vesey  street  was  mostly 
un.K-cupied  and  uncultivated.     In  the  .-ity  proper  much  was 
done  in  the  time  of  ^Mayor  Wilson  in  the  way  ot  improvements. 
The  price  of  iDts  was  about , £;'.<»  (^l.-i<»);  and  farms  bordering 
on  the  citv  line  or  within  it  ab..ve  Wall  str.'..t  were  l>eing  (lili- 
*ventlv  laid  out  and  sold  for  .Iw.'lling  purp..ses.     In   l.O.i  a 
point  of  hmd  jutting  out  into  the  fresh-water  p.n.d  or  .-reek 


ii 


> 


LORD    LOVKLACK — WH.SON. 


2s;; 


.1 


> 


ami  «*alU'«l  the  Kalck  llocck  was  soM  lor  about  ClOO.  'nicic 
scniu'd  foliavf  Itrcii  no  tlioii;;lit  in  tlii'  mind  oltlir  puit  lias*  i 
of  iMiildin^  lionscs  ov  of  laying-  (»ut  stre«'ts.  Indct-d  tlic  drptli 
of  the  pond  (licn'  was  ronsidrred  iipfatlionialilr,  and  (lins 
<liiitt'  incapable  of  bi'in}>' Idlt'd;  a  theory  which  the  si^ht  of 
Center  an<l  adjoininj,'  streets  and  (»f  Ihc^  solid  K;jfyptiaii  walls 
of  till"  'I'.inibs  effei  tnall.N  disproves  to  the  »iti/.en  of  lo-day. 
The  tongue  ol  land  remained  for  many  a  day  a 

".     .     .     .     f.'iiiy  fiirt'liiml,  ,s(( 
Witli  willow  wicd  ami  iiiiiliou," 

the  resort  olijie  anjuler  oi'  llie  huntsman  in  i»nrsuil'  of  dueks, 
lierhajts  a  favorite  place  foi-  summer-day  parties.  Tliose  fond 
of  a  walk  in  the  country  <-ould  have  had  that  pleasure  easily 
{•latilied,  even  if  tlieir  residence  were  on  l5owlin<j  (Ircen  or 
Hanover  Square.  At  the  corner  of  31aiden  Lane  and  IJroad 
way  they  wouhl  have  left,  the  houses  beliiud  them.  Then  pass 
in^'  ulonp:  the  lino  of  Boston  road  or  I'ark  Row,  or  crossing; 
the  uncultivated  (ields  of  the  ('ojnm(ms,  over  the  site  of  the 
post-otfico  and  the  municii>al  aud  other  bnildin^is  they  would 
finally  eouie  to  the  banks  of  this  cool  lake.  Vet  the  city  itself 
atfoi'ded  many  an  und)rageous  thoron^hfari!,  the  sides  of  most 
of  the  streets  bein^-  planted  with  beech  trees  and  the  fragrant 
locust.  During-  Mayor  Wilson's  term  a  special  i>ermissioii  was 
jfi veil  the  residents  <m  IJroadway  to  itlaiit  trees  (but  not  tie 
posts  for  horses)  along  their  licmse  fronts;  while  at  the  same 
time  this  street  received  a  pavement  (Extending  from  Bowling 
Green  to  Wall  street,  doubtless  to  facilitate  attendance  at  "  Old 
Trinity"  in  all  weathers.  A  walk  along  the  present  I'earl 
street  would  have  given  as  uninterrupted  a  view  of  the  Kast 
Kiver  as  a  similar  saunter  along  South  street  does  to-day. 
Here  then,  as  now,  was  the  chief  moorage  for  large  sailing  ves- 
sels coming  from  or  going  on  long  sea  voyages.  But  around 
on  the  other  side  of  the  ishiiid,  along  the  North  Kiver  front, 
virgin  nature  was  as  yet  undisturbed.  The  shores  of  Ni^w 
Jersey  far  beyond  the  broad  stream  were  not  more  verdant 
and  fr«'e  from  the  presence  of  sliii)piiig  (luin  those  of  the  future 
location  of  the  scores  (»f  piers  for  "ocean  greyhounds  "  and  the 
palatial  steamers  that  swiftly  (-leave  the  waters  of  the  Hudson 
every  summer  day.  Indeed  West  street  itself,  with  all  its  sur- 
prising chara(^teristics  (some  not  very  creditable  to  our  <aty), 
had  yet  to  be  created  out  of  the  shelving  beach  or  submerged 


2S4 


AMKiaCAN    III.STOWICAL    AS.SOCIATI(>N. 


lOckH    tllilt    |HMMlilt»'» 
<;!iiir«li.Viii(l. 

'I'Im'  modcur  paviii 


I  ilu'  tides  t<»   lav*'  tho  roar  of  Trinity 


I'lltS  ill    lllOSt^    «'!tl 


f.'  tlu'  stn't'tH  <l«'s«uv«'s  a  word.    'I'ln'  pave 
Iv^lavs  did  not  «'\tcud  all  Ilu- way  iinos 


,l,e  tlM.n.u-l.ran'.     Alonj;'  the  houses  ran  a  narrow  ';"'H';<^' 
oflai-Ke  red  l.iirks  lai.l  tlat ;  a  sidewalk  it  .ni-l.the  <.all.".  ,  but 
,.„1,   as  now   raisrd  alM.v  the  hul  of   the  general  roa.lv  ay. 
Next  lo  tliis  ran  a  strip  of  rohhh-.stone  pavement,  not  above 
iof.M.t  in  width,  nujasured  fr.uu  the  lineof  the  houses  on  either 
side      This  left  the  eeuter  of  the  street  in  a  "state  ot  nature, 
of  whiel.  the  rain  kiu-w  how  to  take  advantage,  s.oopn.K  out 
for  its..|f  uullevs  or  gutters,  by  means  of  whi<-h  so  n.ueh  of  it 
as  was  not  absorbed  by  the  soil  :on;.ht  the  rivers  or  ponds  or 
pools.     And  this  improvised  and  -srlf-made"  sewerayv  ur  n. 
voluntary  surfa.-e  drainaj-e,  was  all  the  seweraj^e  which  the  eity 
tliru  i,ossessed.     Yet   in  this  way  also  were  replenished  tlic 
l.alf  do/en  wells  or  .-isterus  plae.'d  in  the  .-enter  ..f  prominent 
th.,r..nKhfares,  whence  Wi-re  drawn  suppli.'s  of  water  in  .•aHe..t 
li,v.     .Inst  at  this  time,  t....,  ''  new  and  mo.v  strinp-nt  regula- 
rioaswere  passed  in   respe.-t  to  tires,  the  tire  wardens  were 
dire.-t..d  t..keepstri.twu..-hofainH"arthsaudchunneysw    hm 

t!.e.-itv,an.l  t.,  s.-e  that  the  lire  buckets  were  l.un«- .ip  in  their 
.i«htpla.-es  throuKlxaittlH' wards;  and  two  hooks  an.l  .'ight 
la.hl.'rswere  pmrhased  at  th.'  publi.-  .>xp.'nsHbr  th.'  us.' ot  the 
nabrvo  lire  departna-nt."*     Caieful  and  provi.lei.t  as  the  meas- 
nr.'s  against  lir.'  have  .xdinarily  been  in  .>ur  city,  yet  it  us  (furi- 
ous to  ..bserv..  that,ea..h  ..f  the  three  eenturi..s  ot  its  hist.ny 
has  known  a  f.eneral  .-onilagration;  that  of  lOli.  or  1  .-S,  as 
tohl  by  D.m.in.'  Miehaelius;  thai  ..f  ITT.i,  when  the  Bnt.sl 
,,,,,  i„o..ei,pation;  and  that  ..f  181^5,  within  the  «ry  ot 
„u.n  still  liying.     Then,  as  always,  the  eonuneree  ..f  the  e   5 
was  assured,  giying  large  returns,  tlu.ugh  not  evM.  yet  with- 
out the  taint  ..f  e.,llusion  with  piracy.     As  tor  m  ^'"^•'''i  ;--^' 
tlM'  history  of  these  ha.l  n..t  yet  begun  tbrour  fj^-^^  *''>-•  J.  ^. 
nti/.ens,  indeed,  were  yearning  to  put  forth  their  cnt.'n>u8 
;,M.l  skill  and  wealth  in  this  direeti.m.     lint  it  was  systemat- 
i..i,lly  repr.'sse.l  and  sternly  forbid.len  by  the  mother  .•ountrj . 
\otl.ing  must  be  d.me  to  tlu'  "preju.li.5e  of  ..ur  manutaet..r.es 
at  home,"  was  the  ..nistant  r.'.nind.u-.    Yet  Amenean  industry 
svas  irr.'i.i-8ible.    The  peophM)f^tl^^ 

*^»'i:w  Booth,  "History  of  New  York  City,"  i>.  284. 


LORD  LOVELACE — WIL«()N. 


•JS5 


"iilrnuly  so  liir  udvaiHcd,"  wrotc^  ('«>!.  ("aleh  Ilnitlu^otc  in 
ITOS,  "in  llu-ir  miiimlUclorycs  tliiit  '/of  y<'  lin«'n  ».K:  wollt-n  (hey 
MHO  Im  miidc  ;iiriony;st  tlu'in,  oH|uitialiy  the  coiirsor  sort."  Tfm 
i,'r<'iit  laiul-owiuir  hirnst'lt'uthi»l  fooiitia'  upon  a  vrry  iniiM»i1aiit 
Imincli  ofii'dnstry,  that  orsliipbuildinif. 

I  llit|ifi;  uiiil  lii'licvcil  Mini  :iiii  iiiiiimIIv  hiiii',  iim  t(i  liiyMrll'  t-M'ti  lii'voilil  it 
'loiilif,  fliiil  I  riiiilil  liMvi-  Wiiiit  aii<i  t'liniixlu'il  tlii'  cniwii  witli  nil  the  li({lit 
I'rlfjiitt'H  thiir  wdiild  hiivts  heoii  wauh'il  for  tills  «(iiisi  hihI  tlm  Went  Iiiilhm, ' 

Knt  ilcathcotc  had  to  contfuit  iiiin.s<>lt'  with  a  dclilioratr  re 
Misal,  anil  bear  it  with  the  brst  ;>ra('e  a  loyal  IWiton  coidd. 
Vet  tin-  loi'dsol'  trade  wore  perfectly  \villinj,'to  make  this  conn 
try  a  dei»ot  foi-  naval  .stores.  Lord  Lovehuje,  in  a  latter  dated 
March  0,  170!>,  ami  which  therefore  prol)ably  niiver  reached 
him,  was  enjoined  to  eiU'onra|>e  the  making  of  pitch  and  tar, 
and  "  to  consider  a  i)r<»per  method  for  preservinf^  tlii;  nmsts 
and  tind»er  in  tln^  woods  that>  are  fit  lor  the  use  of  her  nni- 
jcsty's  i'oyal  navy.t  IJnt  bi'yond  this  the  .Vnn'rieaii  colonists 
must  not  presume  to  go.  And  thus  the  mother  country  che«'ked 
the  best  development  of  lier  transatlantic  citi/,(Mis;  thus  she 
fomlly  and  foolislily  j>rei»arcd  the  way  for  tlieij'  violent  separa- 
tion, while  imaj-iiiinj;'  that  her  couise  in  this  matter  would  pre- 
vent that  very  issue. 

\^y  it^Htrii'ting  Airiericaii  maiiiifactiireH  tlm  IxianI  oi'  tnulf,  tho  minlHtr.v, 
thoiiiiiftMl  voict)  of  (in>af  Mritaiii,  proposed  lo  ^iiai'.iiilco  lirpt'iiilmi'i!.  No 
st'iitiiiu'iit  won  morn  universal  aeee]»tam'o.  Tiie  mere  ant  ile  lestrictive  KyM- 
tem  was  tho  superstition  of  tliat  a;^o.  Capitalists  worsiiipcd  it;  statcH- 
inen  were  overawed  liy  it  ;  pliilosop1i(;rs  dartid  not  <|nestion  il.j: 

Unfortuniitely  for  I'aijuland,  it  led  to  the  licvcdution,  and  that 
|,Meat  shock  awakened  the  mother  e<nintry  to  her  folly. 
The  brief  administration  of  Lord  Lov<dace,  which  some  writ- 
ers dismiss  with  a  sinole  sentence,  and  t<»  \vhi(!h  even  elaborate 
histories  of  our  city  devote  not  more  than  a  i)ara;,naph,^  was 
nevertheless  distinj^iiished  by  two  notable circumstanc(!s.  At- 
tention has  already  been  called  to  imi-.  of  these:  that  Uaiicrofl 
saw  in  this  period  the  beginning  of  that  great  legishitive  battle 


'  Doe.  rel.  Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  5.  63,64. 

•   Doe.  rel.  Col.  Hist.  N.y.,  5;  72. 

t   Hanerol't,  '•  I'liited  States,"  2,  L'l  1.  I'll.', 

VN  It  is  wortliy  ol'  mention  fliat   in  Cooper's  "Water  Wite 
allusion    to   Lord    Iwovelace   at  all;  but  CJovcrnor  lluntrr,  i 
Hunter"  liy  Cornliury,  is  scornfully  referreil  to  l)y  tin'  latter  as  innuodi 
ately  snceecding  him. 


I  h(M'.'  IS  no 
ed  "Mister 


•2.SG 


AMKlilCAN    HISTORICAL    ASSOCIATION. 


which  resulted  in  our  luitioiial  independence,  lint  to  this  ad- 
ministratioii  is  also  tol»e  ti'ac<'d  the  hejiinning  of  (lennan  iinini- 
U'lation  to  Aineiica,  (lerinans  had  been  touiul  in  Ne\vAinst»>r- 
(htMi  from  its  earliest  settlement.  The  lirst  director-general, 
Peter  Miiiuit,  is  by  many  thought  to  have  been  one,  and  it  is 
certain  tliat  lie  wasboi'u  in  VVesel,  a  city<»f  (rerniany.  Kirecitor 
Htuyvesant  had  an  oi)i)ortunity  to  annoy  a  body  of  (rernuin 
Lutherans  by  sendinj;'  back  to  Europe  tln^pastoi'  tliey  had  pre- 
sumed to  call.  .Tacob  Leisler  was  a  (rernian,  but  a  connnuni- 
eant  of  the  (Jerman  I'efoinied ''hurcli,  and  not  a  Lutherr.n,  for 
this  reason  readily  aniliatin.i>'  with  and  even  bearing  oltiee  in 
the  Dutch  Iveformed  ('hurcli.  I»ut  not  until  the  time  of  Lord 
Lovelace  bad  there  been  any  large  body  of  German  peoph>  come 
o\er  together.  Siu'i.  a  movement  has  usually  been  thought  to 
have  conniurneed  under  liis  successor.  But  the  thousands  of 
souls  tliat  came  over  with  Col.  Hunter  formed  but  a  wave  in 
that  great  tide  of  immigration  which  had  already  set  in  toward 
these  shores. 

As  Lord  Lovelace  was  ai>pointed  in  March,  1708,  there  was 
lair,  befoi<>  the  (^neen  in  .June  a  petition  from  the  Hev.  -loshua 
Kociiertal,  asking  that  he  himself  and  14  other  persons  of  tiie 
Protestant  Lutheran  religion,  from  the  provinces  of  the  Palati- 
nate and  Flolstein,  might  be  sent  to  Ameiica  at  the  expense  of 
th(^  I'^nglish  Government.  In  this  petition  and  in  other  docu- 
ments that  i)assed  in  correspondeiu'(^  on  the  subject,  mention  is 
made  of  41  other  people  of  the  same  nationality  and  religion 
who  had  already  been  granted  the  piivilegCvS  asked  for,  and 
who  were  soo!i  to  sail.*  It  having  been  carefully  ascertained 
that  these  14  additional  persons  had  truthfully  jtresented  their 
case,  and  that  they  were  e(|indly  in  need  and  worthy  of  aid  as 
objects  of  her  charity,  the  Queen  graciously  gave  them  their 
wisli.  One  strong  plea  in  favor  of  these  Germans  at  this  time 
was  that  they  were  sntferers  at  the  hands  of  the  common 
<'nemy — the  Fiench,  It  is  not  at  all  necessary  to  go  back  to 
the  Thirty  Years'  War,  which  had  ended  sixty  years  before,  to 
tind  the  causes  foi'  their  [)reseut  exceeding  distress.t  The  Pa- 
latinate had  been  swept  with  tire  and  sword  by  Louis  XIV  in 
HiSS;  and  again,  during  the  war  now  in  progress,  these  ])arts 
of  Crcrmany  had  been  made;  to  feel  the  brunt  of  the  contlict 


'- 


*  Doc.  icl.  Col.  Hist.  X.  Y.,  t\,  44,  53. 

t  Mrs.  Liimb's  "  lUstorv  of  N'l-w  York,"  1.  ts|. 


- 


LORD    LOVELACE — WILSON. 


2S7 


until  tlio  battle  of  JJIeiilieiin.  in  1704,  Imd  driven  tlie  armies  of 
I-'raiiee  hack  acioss  lu-r  holders.* 

Tliesc  ,~)5  (lennan  ciiiiuTaiits-wert'  distrihutcd  ainonjr  I.T  fami- 
lies, consisting  of  2!)  adults  and  HO  children,  the  latter  ranji-inj? 
between  the  ayes  of  l.j  years  and  »>  months.  IJcsides  the  min- 
ister, the  oeeupations  oftheothcrs  were  as  follows:  ICleveii  farm 
laborers,  some  of  whom  were  also  vine-dressers;  one  a  "  stock- 
ing-maker," and  (me  a  blacksmith.  There  was  also  one  ear- 
Itenter  and  joiner  in  the  party,  and  one  is  registered  as  a  clerk. 
As  Lord  Lovelace  was  ])roceedinj;'  to  America  at  the  same  time, 
he  relieved  tlu;  government  of  the  charge  of  two  of  the  men, 
whom  he  engaged  as  servants  for  hitnself  and  family. t  The 
board  «»f  trade  also  recommended  that  hefoic  their  dei)arture 
from  England  they  be  invested  with  tiie  rights  of  P>ritish  citi- 
zenship, and  that  tlie  usual  allowance  of  £20  ($i(»0)  for  books 
ami  clothes  to  clergymen  of  tlie  Chuich  of  England  on  going 
out  to  the  colonies  be  granted  to  .Mr.  Koehertal.  Lord  Love- 
lace was  also  dire<'ted  to  see  to  it  that  tlie  minister  lecoived  a 
portion  of  land  for  a  glebe,  not  exceeding  500  acres.t  These 
lirelimiuaries  having  been  made,  the  Germans  were  embarked 
upon  the  (Jlohe,  one  of  the  vessels  of  the  Sfpnulron  whicli  was 
to  convey  the  governor  to  New  York;  and  we  learn  from  his 
lettei'  to  the  h)rds  of  trade  that,  in  addition  to  the  roughness 
of  the  voyage,  the  enngrants  and  recruits  upon  this  vessel  suf- 
tered  from  a  scarcity  of  water,  Avhieh  the  others  could  not  re- 

■  'I'lif  tliousuiidis  of  Ainoiiciiiiis  wliobavt!  iiiiulc  i)il^riui:i;;vs  to  Heidelberg 
to  look  upon  the  iiictiiresque  ruins  of  the  old  castle  will  hear  with  rrurct 
(hat  at  till'  present  writinu;  the  (iraud  Duke  ofHaden  is  considerin';-  ]dans 
tor  its  restorali"  ..  Severiil  UKuitiis  ajio  a  cnnuuissiou  was  apjtoiiited  to 
examine  the  arehitectiiial  condition  ottlic  loruu'r  residence  of  the  Counts 
Palatine,  and  to  ih'cido  whether  its  restoration  was  possihh'.  The  report 
of  the  coniniission,  whicli  has  just  hcen  made  puhlic,  is  I'avorahle  to  the 
jiTand  (hike's  jdan,  declaiing-  that  the  castle  can  be  readily  transformed 
into  a  tittin-i  home  for  his  royal  liighiu'ss.  The  ])eoid<'  of  [rci<lellierg, 
however,  object  seriously  to  the  ])rop()sed  restoration,  and  it  is  jiossible 
that  thev  will  be  aide  to  iireveiit  it  entirely.  They  well  know  that  thi^ 
famous  ca.stle,  with  its  broken  walls  ami  shattered  towers,  is  the  chief  at- 
traction for  stranj;<is  in  the  city  on  the  Ncckar,  and  declare  that  if  it  be 
restored  half  ,<i'  their  revcnm-  at  least  will  be  lost.  The  (irand  Duke  of 
ISaden  is  wealthy,  and  has  already  many  palatial  homes.  Paradoxical  as 
ir  may  .seem,  it  wcmld  lie  inexcusable  vandalism  on  the  jiart  of  his  royal 
hitjhness  to  destroy  the  nmst  intcrestim;'  ruins  in  Europe  by  transformiug 
them  into  a  modern  home. 

t  Doc.  rel.  Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  5,  52,  .53. 

:  ibiti..rxrA,{i;i. 


288 


AMERICAN    HISTORICAL    ASSOCIATION. 


lieve,  brcanso  the  teiiiiu'stiums  weather  prevciitod  aocess  to 
hor.*  In  the  snniiner  of  1709  aiiotlier  laiye  iiiiuiber  of  Pala- 
tines were  sent  over  by  the  Hn«;lish  (xoverniuent,  at  a  cost  of 
between  £M  an<l  £4  pounds  eaeh;  they  were  fjenerously  sup- 
plied with  agricultural  implements  aiulbuildinj;'  tools  at  an  ex- 
pense of  40  shillinji's  each, and  for  their  subsistence  in  America 
for  one  year  after  settlement  on  "  waste  lands  "  alonj^'  the  Ilud 
S(m,  provision  was  made  at  the  rate  of  £5  each,  But  some  of 
her  majesty's  subjects  nuirmured,  and  ''  objected  that  should 
these  people  be  settled  on  the  Continent  of  America  they  will 
fall  upon  Woollen  and  otl.cr  Manufactoi-ies  to  the  prejudice  of 
the  Manufactures  of  this  Kingdom  now  consumed  in  these 
Parts."  The  lords  of  trade  at  once  quieted  these  fears  by  re- 
mindinji'  the  objectors  that  the]n'ovince  of  New  York  was  not 
.Mider  a  proi»rietary,but  a  crown  <;overnment, and  hence  ''such 
mischievous  practice  may  be  discouraged  and  chec(iued  much 
easic!'"  there  than  elsewhere.!  Tims,  in  extreme  ]»overty  and 
feebleness,  with  much  distress  and  sufleriny,began  that  mighty 
liow  of  German  emigration  which  attained  such  enormous 
])roportions  in  our  own  century,  and  which,  while  supplying 
our  entire  liepu})lic  with  millions  of  valuable  citizens  who  hare 
called  forth  untold  treasures  from  our  natural  resources,  as 
well  as  in  the  way  of  manufacturing  industries,  has  at  the 
same  time  made  New  York  third  or  fourth  in  rank  among 
cities  populated  by  Germans. 

Not  live  months  had  elaj)sed  since  Lord  Lovelace  had  landed 
in  the  city,  the  assembly  of  the  province  was  still  in  session, 
and  was  about  to  pass  upon  its  lirst  act,  when  the  whole  com- 
munity was  startled  by  the  news  that  the  governor's  illiu'ss, 
which  had  nevei'  left  him  during  all  his  stay,  had  suddenly 
taken  an  alarming  turn.  One  of  his  children,  AVcntworth,  the 
second  son,  had  already  succumbed  to  the  same  complaint  in 
April;  another,  .John,  the  oldest,  was  seriously  affected  by  it; 
and  doubtless  grief  at  his  chihrs  death  aggravated  the  father's 
:ualady.  The  skill  of  the  physicians  of  that  date  could  hardly 
be  expected  to  cope  successfully  with  pneumonia,  which  so 
ruthlessly  and  swittly  carries  off  its  victims  even  today.  lOre 
long,  theref(  re,  on  jMay  (I,  1709,  the  dreaded  announcement 
■anie  that  Lord  Lovelace  had  died,  in  the  llowcr  of  his  age  and 
upon  the  threshold  of  a  new  and  honorable  career.     A  genu- 


i 


'  I  hid..  .">.  ()7. 
\  I  hid,  5,  S7.  SS. 


LORD   LOVELACE — W1L80N. 


280 


i 


ine  sorrow  lillcd  every  citizen,  increased,  it  may  well  be  sui" 
posed,  by  synipatliy  with  th(;  bereaved  lady,  watchiuj?  by  the 
side  of  the  hopeless  sick  bed  of  hei'  eldest  born,  wlio  followi'd 
his  father  to  the  s'l'ive  within  two  weeks.*  To  give  outward 
expression  to  this  general  and  proper  sentiment,  insignia  of 
numrning  were  everywiiere  apparent,  and  the  council  directed 
the  mayor  to  "  prohibit  the  acting  of  any  i)lay  or  phiys,  and 
the  lighting  cf  any  prize  or  prizes,  till  further  orders."t  A 
few  days  later  (.May  12)  the  obsequies  took  place,  on  which 
occasion  the  Eev.  William  Vesey  preached  a  sermon  from  the 
text  in  Psalm  xxxvii,  37,  "  IMark  the  perfect  man,  and  beliold 
the  upright,  for  the  end  of  that  man  is  peace."  At  the  close 
he  sjxike  these  ai)propriate  and  appreciative  sentences: 

1  wiiB  oiicd  almost  lesolvod  aj^iunst  Fiuienil  Piincyyricks,  as  hciug  Cull 

*  It  was  not  long  alter  this  that  tho  lino  <if  the  harons  of  Hnrh-y  licoanio 
•■xtinPt.     Tlic  third  son,  Xcvil,  snccccd.d  as  liaioii  in  ITOit,  but  died  in  17;^6 
without  issuo.     At  the  litnc  tliat  the  older  lirancli  tailed  in  male  descend- 
ants. an<l  (iovernor  Lord  Lovehico  siiceeedod  to  the  title  as  lonrtli  haron, 
Martha,  a  dangiiter  of  the  third  baron,  became  Baroness  Wentworth  in 
her  mother's  riylit.     She  married  Sir  ^Villiam  Noel,  from  whom  descended 
Anna  Isabella  Xoel.  daughter  of  Sir  Kali)h  Milbank,  Lord   Byron's  wife. 
Lady   Byron  afterward  succeeded  to  the  title  of   Baroness  Went  worth. 
Byron's  daughter,  Ada,   celebrated  in  "  Childe  Harold,"  was  married  in 
18:55  to  Viscount  Ockham.     In  IS.SS  this  noblem.in,  who  is  still  living,  was 
created  Earl  <tf  Lovelace,  the  name  being  revived  in  consideration  of  the 
fact  that  his  wife  was  the  rci)resentative  of  the  family  whos(^  name  liad 
become  extinct  through  failure  of  male  issue— a  family  whose  founder  ap- 
l>ears  anion,<>;  the  six  hnudred  and  twenty-nine  names  of  William  the  C<m- 
•lueror's  chiefs  borne  on  the  Battle  Abliey  Roll  of  lOfifi.  who  shared  the 
lauds  and  distinctions  of  the  followers  of  the  defeated  Harold.     What  luis 
hapiieiuMl  to  the  Lovelaces  has  occurred  to  many  even  more  illustrious 
English  families.     Alnwick  Castle  has  been  chiirmingly  described  by  an 
American  poet,  who  was  there  in  the  sunnner  of  1822,  as  "Home  of  the 
Percy's  high-born  race;"  but  the  last  of  the  lin<>  dieil  more  than  two  Iiun- 
dred  years  ago,  iiml   for  a  century  the  jiroud  dukes  of  Northumberland 
have  been  descendants  of  a  female  branch,  bearing,  not  the  knightly  name 
of  Percy,  but  the  prosaic  omM)f  Smithson.  audit  is  toa  mendierof  th.at  fam- 
ily that  ouruation  is  indebted  for  the  nobleeiKlowmcnt  known  jis  theSmitli- 
sonian  Institution,  id'  Washingtcm,  D.  C.     (See  Banks'  "  Dormant  and  Ex- 
!ict  Baronages."  in  :  .1518,  4tl!»;  also  Burke's  "  Peerage.'')     In  ."Motley's  ■•  Cor- 
respondence "(New  York,  I88!»)ii,  oOl,  there  is  this  reference  under  (l;ile. July 
26,  1858:  "  I  went  over  to  Lord  Lovelace's.     *     *     *     1  like  Lady  Anna- 
bella  King,  the  daughter  of  ,\da  Byron,  very  much.     She  has  much  talent, 
very  agreeable  maniun's,  and  a  good  deal  of  fun;  ])Iays  and  paints  admira- 
bly, and  has  evidently  a  very  sweet  dis])osit  ion  "  (p.  ;-iH;j).     "Lily   [now 
Lady  AVilliam  Vernon  llarcourtj  goes  up  to  town  every  Tuesday,  geuerallv 
passing  tin-  day  willi  her  friend.  Lady  Anuabella  King,  at  her  grand- 
mother's, old  Lady  Myron." 
?  "Council  Minutes,"  \.  a()3  (.May  ti,  ITOil). 

S.  Mis.  17M 1!) 


290 


AMERICAN   HISTORICAL   ASSOCIATION. 


of  Difficulty,  full  of  Cousure,  but  on  this  extraor.liuary  Occasion  Duty 
ol,liK<Ml  in«  to  aHHist  ^^itll  IVaRraut  si.ir.-s  iii  eniLalniiuj;  tbc  l.lcssod  M.mu- 
ory  to  Htrow  FIowmh  ou  tin'  Hears,.,  an.l  to  shed  some  Toars  at  the  1' uui-rai 
OhHW.uioH  of  «o  KH-at,  so  jr,HMl  a  Mau.  Tho  supiTam  (iovruour  of  tbo 
World  H.M'UU'd  to  havo  Mark'tout  tiiis  deceased  I'ccr  of  (ircat  Unlam  even 
in  bis  curly  days,  to  have  made  an  IllnstriouH  Kijrure,  and  to  have  been  an 
luHtrunicut  of'u.ucb  jjood  lo  Mankind  :  f.u-  Natur.^  liad  endow'd  bin.  witli 
•I  Ma^istick  and  amiabb)  Countenance,  an  oblifring  and  -ratetiil  Disi.osi- 
tion  a  K(  uerous  Spirit  and  vet  a  bumble  Mind,  cpiick  Apprebensious  and 
a  sound  J.idsnient.  Our  Dread  Soverci-n,  Qu.-en  Anne,  after  be  bad  done, 
cotiHiderable  service  for  liis  country  botli  at  Home  and  abroad,  was  please.! 
to  commit  to  bis  government  the  Provinces  of  New  York  and  New  J.Tsey, 
whose  Inhabitants,  however  divided  among  tliemsclvcs,  universally  eon- 
Hpired  to  U.ve  and  reverence  bis  Person  an.l  t..  express  their  Satisfacti.Ui, 
under  his  just  and  benigne  Conduct.* 

Immediately  upon  Lord  Lovelace's  death  the  functions  o^ 
head  of  the  State  devolved  temporavilyupon  Col. Peter  Schuy 
ler,  as  president  of  the  council.     Hichard  Injioldesby  liad  been 
appointed  lieutenant-o-overuor\iuder  Lord  Cornhury  in  the  year 
1702,  at  the  time  that  the  proviuee  of  New  Jersey  was  added 
to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  goveinor  of  Ifew  York.     It  was  in- 
tended" by  this  arran.uement  that  while  one  officer  was  present 
in  one  province,  the  other  might  presi(h'  over  the  attairs  of  the 
other.     An  experience  of  four  years  led  the  lord  of  trad«"  t.. 
recommend  to  the  Queen  that  she  revoke  Ingoldesby's  conunis- 
sion,  with  which  she  complied  tit  once.    The  order  in  some  way 
failed  to  be  properly  prepared,  or  it  failed  to  reach  him,  au.l 
thus  he  retained  the  position,  so  to  speak,  by  default,  continu 
ing  even  under  Cornbury's  successor.    Theretbre,  being  the 
lieutenant-goveruor  (Ufm'to,  if  not  dejurv,  or  by  iutenth.n  of 
the  Queen,  on  Lord  Lovelace's  death  he  was  snnunonded  m 
haste  from  New  Jersey,  and  t(.ok  charge  of  the  government  ou 
May  9.     It  was  not  a  new  expeiience  for  him.     At  the  ecpudly 
unexpected  and  suddcii  demise  of  Governor  Sloughter,  in  1091, 
he  ha»l  been  intrusted  with  the  duties  of  cliief  magistrate,  on 
the  ground  of  being  the  next  in  military  command.     Hehad 
n-nn^ined  in   the  colony  under  Fletcher  and  Bellomont,  but 
served  onlv  in  a  military  capacity  until   17(L>.     No  soimer  did 
the  news  o*f  Governor  Lovelace's  death,  and  the  conseiiucnt  ele 
vation  of  Ingoldesby,  reach  the  lords  of  trade,  than  they  forth- 
with renewed  their  application  for  his  removal.     On  Septem 
ber  17  of  this  sanu>  year  (Jueen  Anne  signed  the  second  revoea 
tion,  and  care  was  taken  that  it  was  properly  transmitted.    On 

~*  Now  York  Historical  Society  CoUectious  for  1880.  pp.  321.  336,  337. 


r.ORD    LOVELACE — WILSON. 


291 


tcmviiig  tlio  (l.cumciif  wliidi  constituted  his  offlcial  dccnpitii- 
tioii,  Ingolch'sby  riisiyiiod  the  govcnimcnt  iuto  the  hands  of 
the  wortliy  Dr.  (leraiduH  Beecknnin,  who  in  the  absence  of 
Pclei'Scliuyh'r  was  senior  member  and  ])resident  of  the  council,* 
This  occurred  in  April,  1710;  and  three  months  later  Kobert 
Hunter,  the  next  governor,  arrived. 

Ingoldesby  signali/ed  thebeginningof  his  administration  by 
exeicising  his  aiitiiority  in  an  exceedingly  unworthy  numner, 
by  behavior  not  only  ungenth'maidy,  but  inexcusably  unfeel- 
ing. Tliis  was  the  harsh  treatment  of  Lady  Lovelace,  the 
bereaved  wife  and  mother.  It  was  of  such  a  nature,  iiuleed, 
that  she  found  if  expedient  to  betake  herself  to  the  ship  which 
was  to  carry  licr  back  in  her  forlorn  condition  to  Europe  as  if 
she  weie  a  fugitive  fiom  Justice.  Her  own  words  best  describe 
the  disgra(;efnl  episode.  In  a  letter  to  the  lords  of  trade  she 
Avi'it(!s : 

Soon  lifter  tlw.  dimnal  death  of  my  JJiar  Husband,  and  Eldest  ,Son,  in 
tlic  iiiidstof  my  iiniictions  (which  were  and  are  the  most  sorrowful  that 
<v<'r  befell  a  poor  Woman)  Col.  Ingoldesby  eamo  to  me,  and  Demanded  the 
J'apers  I  had  in  my  hands;  I  told  him  thoy  were  sent  for  by  Lord  Sunder- 
land Secry  of  State,  and  showM  bim  bis  Lordi«  letf,  he  told  me  he  did 
not  value  Lord  Snnilerhmd's  letf^,  'twas  nothing  to  liini,  and  in  very  ruff 
and  thnateninj;  terms  told  nui  that  I  shou'd  not  stir  from  New-York  'till  I 
had  t-ive-u  him  tlio  said  jjapers;  Both  my  self  and  friends  told  him  I  shou'd 

■  Doe.  rol.  Crd.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  5 :  89,  90,  91.  An  extract  from  the  "  Council 
Minutes  "  (10:  .|7:J)  is  both  interesting  and  instructive  on  this  jwint  of  the 
summary  <lismiHsal  of  Jnuohlesby :  "April  10,  1710  (Gerardus  Beokmau, 
President)  Coll.  r.i'eKinan  Communicated  to  the  Councill  a  Letf  which  be 
rec'd  yestenhiy  uniK  her  Majesties  Signett  &,  Signo  Mauuall  given  att 
Windsor  the  I'JMb  (»f  ()ctol)er  Ljist  directed  to  y"  President  of  the  Councill 
in  y  Province  of  New  York  Signifying  that  her  Majestic  has  been  informed 
that  Severall  undue  grant.s  of  Land  in  the  Province  have  been  passed  since 
the  Death  of  my  Lord  Lovelace  for  the  Preventing  the  like  abuse  for  the 
future  her  Majestio  docs  thereby  Signify  that  She  has  thought  titt  with  the 
advice  of  her  J'rivy  (.'ouucill  to  onP  that  noe  (hants  of  Land  he  made  in 
this  Pntvincc  till  the  Arrivall  of  H<»l)ert  IlnntcrEsci.  Governonr  ajtpointed 
for  I  lie  same  and  her  Majestie  haveing  thereby  likewise  thought  lift  to  re- 
voke annnll  and  determine  the  Connnission  formerly  granted  to  Richd 
Ingoldsliy  IOnij.  constituting  A-  appointing  him  L'  (iov^of  y  said  Province 
the  administration  winreof  will  (lcvolv(>  upon  the  President  of  the  Conn- 
lill  does  therefore  (b'clare  unto  him  her  Pleasure  concerning  the  Premisses 
prohibitting  the  Passing  any  (.'rants  of  Lan<ls  in  the  said  Province.  And 
Coil.  Schuyler  being  att  Present  absent  from  this  Province  Coll"  Beekman 
who  is  the  ne.\t  ConiKillor  named  to  him  in  her  Ma"''*  Instructions  does 
think  till  toordcr  by  thoadvic.'of  this  Board  that  y''  sa  Letter  be  Imme- 
diately lul)lis]ied  alt  the  Citty  Hall  in  the  usual  manner." 


M  <-'  Mri 


AMKllICAN    HISTORICAL   ASSOCIATION. 


••oiiiplaiii  111"  his  Htnerc  nsii^o  wlioii  1  came  to  Eiiglantl,  lif  anr.wcrcd  lio 
vulned  it  in.t,  and  that  Kii(;laii<l  was  at  a  grrat  DistaiKc.  and  h"  well  Isiicw 
Avhen  aiiotlnTfiovNainc  over  lit' Hliim'd  In'  loiimvcd;  but  n()t\vitliHtainlin.i» 
his  Hcitniinjr  iiif,  I  did  at  iiiidiii;;ht  gcMhc  tniiik  ofl'aiuTa  and  iii,vm'1I'i>ii 
Shijt  himrd,  and  ho  incvi-ntcd  my  vonhntnicnt.  .  .  .  Also  Captain 
SynioUH  bflongint;-  to  one  of  the  ConiiianifS  in  a  very  bnllyiiig  manner 
xvoii'd  not  Itt  me,  K'cmovc  Hcveral  '  iiings  that  we  jtiit  into  the  Fort  and 
paitl  for.  "* 

Fortunately  tlu'  rule  of  this  man  was  brief,  but  it  \vas  not 
liriefcnoujili  to  pn-vcnt  his  disfiiacinj;  liiniselfby  conduft  such 
as  this,  as  well  as  by  that  leekless  j> ranting  of  valuable  lands 
to  hiiaselC  and  I'riends  which  had  been  the  baue  of  former  ad- 
ministrations. iJut  <me  enterprise,  the  first  of  its  kind  in  the 
eighteentli  centuiy,  which  had  been  set  on  foot  before  his  in- 
cumbency, ripened  into  acvion  just  as  he  entered  upon  his 
lunctions,  and  lends  some  luster  to  his  otherwise  undignified 

rule. 

A  few  months  before  the  death  of  Lord  Lovelace,  on  ^larch 
1,170!>,  the  Queen  addressed  lo  him  a  letter,  oflieially  infornung 
him  that  "at  great  expense"'  the  authorities  in  England  were 
fitting  out  an  expedition  to  Canada,  to  be  placed  under  the 
direetion  of  Col.  Samuel  V«'tch.     In  this  paper  the  governor 
was  directed  to  allow  himself  to  be  guided  in  all  matters  per- 
taining to  this  enteri)ris(^  according  to  the  uistructions  and 
plans  of  which  the  colonel  was  the  bearer.     For  fear  that  the 
latter  ndght  not  reach  New  York  in  safety,  or  might  iu)t  reach 
it  soon  enough,  a  letter  reiterating  these  instructions  substan- 
tially was  sent  by  post  on  another  vessel.     In  this  document, 
bearing  date  April  28,  Lord  Sunderland  carefully  detailed  the 
plan  of  campaign  which  had  been  decided  on  by  the  ministry 
in  England;  and  also  the  mode  of  preparing  for  it  in  America 
is  indicated.     Lord  Lovelace  died  belbre  either  Col.  Vetch  or 
the  secretary's  let  tei'  reached  him,  but  thee.\i>cditiou  had  been 
.so  thoroughly  determined  on  and  such  earnest  provision  was 
made  for  it  that  this  important  business  was  not  in  the  least 
interrupt«'d  by  that  sad  circumstam;e. 

Tt  may  readily  be  appr<'ciated  that  the  ix'ople  of  the  colonies 
must  have  been  ripe  for  such  an  enterprise  and  would  heartily 


•Doe.  rel.  Col.  Hist.  N.  V..  5,  Sit,  ftO.  Th.' l.'tt.r  is  da  tod  Kcptcmber  S, 
1709.  I'iy  the  Han;.'  hIu).  (Mine  liiK(ddcsby-s  letters  anuouncing  llif  dratb 
of  Lord  Lovi'hKM'  and  liis  own  assnuijitioii  ol'  llio  government.  On  Sep- 
tember .5  the,  onlcr  revoking  his  e..nimission  as  iieuteuant-goveruor  ^va» 
patjHed  by  the  royal  eonneij,  the  Queen  being  present. 


I 


T 


LOUD    LOVELACE — WILSON. 


293 


i 


Join  in  the  cftbvts  of  i\\v  lioiiic  (JovcriinuMit.  ''Queen  Anne's 
will',''  eones])(»n(ling  with  tiiat  of  the  Spimish  succession  in 
Europe,  had  |»recii»itate<l  hostilities  on  tlie  soutliern  holders 
in  its  very  bejiinniny,  in  1702.  'liie  English  there  had  taken 
the  initiative  against  the  S]»anisli  settlements.  Governor 
Moore,  of  South  Carolina,  attacked  tlie  Si)anish  town  of  vSt. 
Augustine,  in  I'lorid-.i.  The  town  itself  was  easily  taken,  hut 
the  castle  held  out  until  ret'iilorcenients  compelled  Moore  to 
raise  the  siege  and  even  to  abandon  his  stores  in  the  retreat. 
A  second  expedition  was  organized  an<l  assailed  the  Indian 
allies  of  the  French  and  S])iiniards  dwelling  about  Appalachee 
Bay.  As  a  result  of  this  exploit  several  tribes  submitted  to 
the  jurisdiction  of  Carolina.  In  the  year  170()  a  French  Heet 
sailed  from  Ilavauii,  intending  to  reduce  ('harleston,  but  the 
l)eo]>le  beat  otf  the  enemy,  who  had  effected  a  landing,  with  a 
loss  of  300  men  killed  or  prisoners.  At  the  north  there  hung 
the  ever-threatening  cloud  of  French  ami  Indian  invasion, 
with  its  accompanying  atrocities.  The  Deertield  massacre 
had  thrilled  Xew  I'iiigland  with  horror  in  1704.  It  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  assault  upon  Haverhill,  on  the  Merrimac,  on 
August  29.  1708,  and  fresh  horrors  might  be  expected  at  any 
moment.  It  is  to  be  legretted  that  so  gallant  and  noble  a 
jx'ople  as  the  French  nuist  ever  stand  charged  at  the  bar  of 
history  with  having  deliberatidy  incited  or  encouraged,  or  at 
least  countenanced,  such  barbarities.  In  a  burst  of  righteous 
anger  Col.  Peter  Schuyler — (^uider,  the  friend  of  the  Indians — 
sent  a  message  of  rebuke  and  remonstrance  to  Marquis  de 
Vaudreuil.  governor  of  Canada: 

My  liciirt  swells  witli  iiicli^'iiatioii  when  1  think  that  n  war  between 
C'bristian  prince.s,  bouiiil  to  the  cxactest  laws  (if  honor  and  generosity  is 
degoneratins  into  a  savage  and  bonndless  linteht.Ty.* 

What  wonder  that  the  people  rose  almost  en  masse  to  resist 
this  unnatural  and  wicked  cond)ination  of  civilization  and  sav 
agery,  and  to  uproot  the  p(»wer  of  the  French  in  Canada. 
Bancroit  tells  us  that  during  one  year  in  the  course  of  the  war 
actually  one-tifth  of  the  entire  i)oi)idation  able  to  carry  arms 
were  enlisted  as  soldiers,  a' d  that  there  was  universally  "fos- 
tered a  willingness  to  extei'uiinate  the  natives." 

Colonel  Vetch  came  over  with  insti'uctions,  similar  to  those 
which  have  been  noticed  as  addressed  to  Lord  Lovelace,  for 
the  governors  of  Pennsylvania,  Connecticut,  and  Rhode  Is- 


»  Hancroft,  "United  States"  (ed.  188;^).  2:  108. 


■■■I 


294 


AMERICAN    IIlSTOIilCAL   ASSOCIATION. 


land.  AVliile lingo  sui)i»lieK  wck^  conlially  votod  jind  the leijui 
site  nuiiibrr  of  levies  made  in  the  more  noitheni  eohmies,  t-oii- 
sideiable  opiiosition  was  eiieounlered  in  the  Pennsylvania  and 
New. Jersey  ]ej;ishitures,  by  reason  nl'  the  prevalence  of  the 
Qnaker  element  there.  The  New  York  assembly  pk'dgcMJ  it- 
self to  raise  the  sum  of  i^lO, ()()(),*  and  early  in  the  summer  (»f 
1701)  its  quota  of  soldiers  was  already  on  the  way.  The  plan 
of  eampaigu  as  laid  before  Lord  Lovelace  was  to  be  us  follows: 

Itis  roHolvod  to  attiick  iit  tho  Hiimr  tiiin' l)()th  (/iicttiMk  luul  Montiful, 
the  fhut  by  sea  and  the  second  over  the  hike  from  Albany,  with  a  body  of 
1.500  men  who  are  to  be  raisc^d  and  armed,  as  you  will  see  in  the  enelosed 
instructions.  Her  Majesty  is  now  iittinf;  out  her  Comma nder-in-Ciiief  of 
the  said  exjiedition,  witli  a  squadron  of  sliij^s  and  live  He^iiments  of  the 
regular  troops,  who  are  to  bo  at  Boston  1)y  the  middle  of  May,  iind  there 
to  l)e  Joined  with  1200  of  the  best  nun  of  New  Kn^tland  and  ]^)!td  Island. 
'Vhvy  are  then  to  sail  with  all  expedition  to  attack  (^uel)eck,  being-  i)ro- 
vided  with  Engineers,  bomb  vessells,  .ind  all  sorts  of  artillery  for  such  an 
enterprise.  At  the  same  time  the  1.500  men  from  Albany,  under  the  com- 
mand of  one  whom  yon  shall  apjioint.are  to  make  the  best  of  their  way 
to  Montreal,  which  }dace  they  are  to  attack,  and  if  jiossible  to  redure 
to  Her  Maj'i"  obedifincu'.t 

The  eliief  connnand  over  the  landfoiees  of  the  United  Colo- 
nies was  intrusted  to  Col.  Francis  Nicholson,  who  wa.s  lieutenant- 
governor  of  New  York  under  Sir  Edmund  Andros,  and  had 
since  been  governor  of  Virginia.  Col.  Vetch,  to  whose  experi 
ence  and  zeal  the  expedition  owed  its  inception  and  mo.stof  its 
present  active  prei)aration,  was  placed  next  to  liim  in  author- 
ity, lie  was  of  Scotch  birth,  and  had  first  come  to  America 
in  connection  with  that  strange  scheme  of  colonization  of  the 
Isthmus  of  Darien  i)ro)ected  by  William  Taterson,  the  founder 
of  the  Bank  of  England.  When  the  Darieii  bubble  burst, 
Vetch,  a  y(mng  man  of  not  quite  thirty  years,  settled  at  Al- 
bany, attaining  success  as  ii  trader,  and  married  the  daughter 
of  Kobert  Livingston  in  17<.H).  In  ITd.'i  Colonel  (then  captain) 
Vetch  was  appointed  by  the  governo'' of  IVIassachusetts  a  com- 
missioner to  Quebec  to  negotiate  an  exciiange  of  ])ris(mers,  and 
also,  if  possible,  a  treaty  of  pea<;«'  or  trm-e.  Vetch  remained 
in  Canada  several  months,  and  he  kept  his  eyes  wide  open  as 
to  the  chances  of  a  capture  of  its  chief  cities.  He  "  devoted 
himself  to  the  study  of  the  topography  and  resources  of  the 
country.     There  were  even  those  who  said  that,  by  intelligent 


*  Doc.  rel.  Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  .5,81, 
^  Ibid.,  5,  73. 


LORD   LOVELACE — WILSON. 


295 


and  none  too  open  obsovvation,  he  learned  more  of  Canadian 
weakness  than  was  rij-ht  for  an  Englishman  in  time  of  war  to 
know."*  He  Mas  thus  xvcll  fitted  to  recommend  the  Canadian 
expedition  to  Queen  Anne  and  iier  ministry,  and  to  suggest 
besides  tiie  details  ui  the  campaign.  Having  promoted  the 
enterprise  also  on  this  si.le  of  the  Atlantic!  as  vigorously  as  he 
had  done,  he  was cvitainly  entitled  to  be  the  second  in  com- 
mand. It  was  well  understood  that  in  case  of  a  successful 
issue  he  was  to  receive  the  appointment  of  governor  of 
Cauida. 

Tin  rendezvous  for  the  land  forces,  as  directed  by  tlie  in- 
struct^)ns,  was  Albany.  Here  the  men  from  the <Iif}erent  prov- 
inces njljcctcd  dining  the  numth  of  June,  and  meanwhile  the 
commaidcr  and  Iiis  staff  were  utilizing  the  time  by  gathering 
all  aval' able  information  from  Indians.     Indian  scouts  had  jire- 

vKmslyleen  sent  far  into  the  enemy's  country,  some  even  reaching 
The  villages  of  the  natives  along  the  St.  Lawrence.    These  now 
began  toc..mc  in,  and  much  valuable  intelligence  was  gained 
tn.m  then.t    On  June  28  all  was  ready  for  the  march  upon 
Montreal.    Col.  Nicholson,  accomiianied  by  the  Indian  eontin- 
geiit  from  the  ever-loyal  1- ive  Nations,  under  their  trusted 
iriend  Col.  Schuyler,  led  his  little  army  as  far  as  Stillwater, 
destined  t(.be  a  field  of  glory  in  a  cause  more  important  than 
even  the  p;esent.     Here  was  hastily  constructed  a  redoubt, 
which,  in  h>nor  of  the  lieutenant-governor  of  the  province 
Nicholson  i.Miied  Fort  Iiigoldesby.|    Then  crossing  the  Hud- 
son at  a,  favoable  point,  many  of  which  the  quiet  flow  of  its 
shallow  wateis  here  afforded,  the  colonial  forces  traversed  the 
tangled  wilderness  and  primeval  forest,  and  halted  and  en- 
camped on  \V>od  Creek,  at  the  southern  extremity  of  Lake 
Champlain.    I  ere  news  was  aAvaited  in  regard  to  the  move- 
ments of  the  coiperating  fleet.    Col.  Vetch  had  gone  to  Boston 
at  the  same  tim  that  Nicholson  led  forth  his  forces  from  Al- 
!>any  ujwn  the  lorthern  march.    The  fleet  from  England,  as 
promised  in  the  nstrnctions,  was  to  have  arrived  the  middle 
"f  May.     It  was  essential  that  the  two  attacking  forces  should 
have  a  knowledg,  of  each  other's  situation  and  progress,  and 


1K«1,  oil   "All  Aciulian 


•Article  in   Int.mtioiinl  Keview,  iNoveiiil.c 
CJovernor,"  p.  467. 

f  Doc.  rcl.  Col.  Hist.X.  V.,  .f),  85. 

,,i''.^^*'***"'''  *'*'  "*■'"*'"'   "'"'•^■''«   ''"""K  'lieKcvolution,"triinHlatc(l  by 
William  L,  ytonc,  ]>.  V.i,  iu,U'. 


296 


AMKttlCAN   HI8T0KICAL   AS«(JCIATr()N. 


Vet(^h  went  to  aiTauf,'e  some  nioaiis  ot'cniiiiminiciition  between 
them;  but  when  he  reiu-lieU  Hoston,  early  in  July,  the  Meet  liad 
not  yet  arrived.  Alter  many  weary  weeks  of  waitin;--,  instead 
of  a  fieeta  solitary  vessel  entered  the  harbor,  a  disi)atch  boat 
brin^nn^  the  disheartening  news  that  no  Knylish  lleet  was  eoin- 
iu}^  at  all.  The  conduct  of  the  war  on  the  Hpaiush  penins.ila 
having  },^one  against  the  Portuguese,  the  allies  of  England,  thi' 
destination  of  the  pronused  Mtjuadnm  with  its  five  regiments  of 
regulars  had  been  changed  from  Boston  to  Lisbon.*  In  Sep- 
tember, 17(m,  this  news  reached  the  colonial  eamp  on  Wood 
Creek,  in  the  wilderness  of  northern  New  York.  Of  necessity 
the  (expedition  against  Canada  was  at  an  end.  The  umless 
waiting  had  already  depleted  the  ranks  of  the  little  arny,  and 
some  intenti<mal  or  unintentional  delilement  of  the  waters  of 
the  creek  near  its  source  had  caused  i  frightful  rate  of  mor- 
tality. By  October  't  the  foices  ln<i  dwindled  down  t)  a  mere 
handful,  and  these  now  abandoned  the  camp  and  returned  to 
their  homes. 

With  nothing  accomplished  and  after  expenses  iucirred  that 
far  exceeded  their  means,  the  people  of  the  northern  colonies 
were  confronted  with  the  burden  of  an  opi»ressive  ('ebt,  in  ad- 
diti(m  to  the  still  threateiung  perils  of  French  ind  Indian 
atrocities.  In  spite  of  this  almost  ridi(!ulous  failure,  however, 
Col.  Schuyler  was  determined  to  force  the  Canaiian,  or  the 
French  and  Indian,  question  upon  the  attention  f)ftho  English 
court.  "  I  hold  it  my  duty  tow^ard  God  and  my  leighbor,"  he 
had  said,  to  i)revent,  if  possible,  these  barbarom  and  heathen 
cruelties."  At  the  end  of  this  same  year  (1700^  he  took  with 
him  to  England,  at  his  own  expense,  five  chieis  of  the  Five 
Nations. 

Ill  Lomlon,  amid  tlw  gazo  of  cr()w<ls,  drcsHi'd  iu  Eiuiisli  sniallclntlios 
of  black,  with  scarlet  iii';rain  doth  inanth's  cd^icd  \\ith  j-old  for  their 
Idankets,  they  wore  coudiK'tod  in  coaches  to  an  aiidicno  with  Queen  Anue, 
to  whom  thoy  j^ave  belts  of  wampum  and  avowed  th<!r  readiness  to  take 
n\>  the  hatchet  for  the  reducti<ui  of  Canada.* 

To  this  effective  expedient  on  the  part  of  ihe  indefatigable 
Schuyler  we  myy  doubtless  trace  the  better-sistained  attempts 
against  Canada  of  subsequent  years,  final]r  resulting  in  its 
complete  reduction  under  the  empire  of  Grait  Britain,  f 

*  "An  Acadian  Governor,"  as  cited,  p.  405,  note. 

t  Bancroft,  "History  Tnited  States"  (ed.  18S;^),  1: 19!». 

till  recognition  of  his  noble  services  in  this  'onuection  and  to  com- 


LORD   LOVEI.ACK — WILSON. 


297 


iii."morat.<  Ibis  romurkablo  vImU,  Quoen  Anno  progPntcl  Col.  SchuyW  with 
a  hatHlHonie  viis..,  which  is  still  u  .h.^rish.Ml  li,.iilo.,m  in  tho  family,  „n.l  of 
wliich  an  illtmtnition  is  to  he  found  in  tiio  text.  Hinco  Col.  Nirhol«on 
w.ntovoiintbeHanmHliipwith.Vhn.vlorana  his  Indians  and  als.,  nat- 
urally had  iiiu.'h  I.,  do  xvith  j.ivsontiuK  thoni  to  tho  Quwn,  sonio  KnKlish 
h.sJonansof  that  dale,  with  .liaracteiistic  .aivlesHnoss  in  such  umttiTs 
suppress  all  nu-ntion  of  tlio  Dutch-Anioriian  and  colonial  offlier,  aHciibinu 
th(^  merit  of  th(«  undortakiiiK  to  Fnuicis  Nicholson  alono. 

ThofoHowiuK  is  the  inscription  on  the  vase:  "Presented  by  Anno  Queen 
of  Knuland  toCol.  Peter  Schuyler,  of  Albany,  in  the  Provinooof  New  York, 
April  19,  1710.  To  ccuiunemorate  his  visit  to  Kngland  hy  request  of  the 
Provincial  goverumout,  uccompuuitjd  by  live  sttcUcms  of  tho  Mohawks." 


